Titanium Sulfide Nanosheets Serve as Cascade Bioreactors for H2S-Mediated Programmed Gas-Sonodynamic Cancer Therapy

Gas-mediated sonodynamic therapy (SDT) has the potential to become an effective strategy to improve the therapeutic outcome and survival rate of cancer patients. Herein, titanium sulfide nanosheets (TiSX NSs) are prepared as cascade bioreactors for sequential gas-sonodynamic cancer therapy. TiSX NSs themselves as hydrogen sulfide (H2S) donors can burst release H2S gas. Following H2S generation, TiSX NSs are gradually degraded to become S-defective and partly oxidized into TiOX on their surface, which endows TiSX NSs with high sonodynamic properties under ultrasound (US) irradiation. In vitro and in vivo experiments show the excellent therapeutic effects of TiSX NSs. In detail, large amounts of H2S gas and reactive oxygen species (ROS) can simultaneously inhibit mitochondrial respiration and ATP synthesis, leading to cancer cell apoptosis. Of note, H2S gas also plays important roles in modulating and activating the immune system to effectively inhibit pulmonary metastasis. Finally, the metabolizable TiSX NSs are excreted out of the body without inducing any significant long-term toxicity. Collectively, this work establishes a cascade bioreactor of TiSX NSs with satisfactory H2S release ability and excellent ROS generation properties under US irradiation for programmed gas-sonodynamic cancer therapy.

Automated summary

This research establishes cascade bioreactors of titanium sulfide nanosheets (TiSX NSs) for gas-sonodynamic cancer therapy. The TiSX NSs can release abundant H2S gas and ROS, which simultaneously inhibit mitochondrial respiration and ATP synthesis, leading to cancer cell apoptosis. The H2S gas also plays a significant role in modulating and activating the immune system to effectively inhibit pulmonary metastasis. Moreover, the metabolizable TiSX NSs can be excreted without inducing significant long-term toxicity.