Controllable redox therapy hydrogel postoperative implant for triple-negative breast cancer recurrence inhibition

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) has a high risk of postoperative recurrence in clinical practice for its high invasiveness and aggressiveness. Among postoperative treatment methods, redox therapy has attracted increasing attention for postoperative tumor treatment in recent years. Among various reactive oxygen species (ROS)-generating agents, persulfates, which generate the more therapeutically effective ·SO 4 − , show outstanding potential but are limited by their excessively rapid decomposition. To address this limitation, we developed a biodegradable, metabolizable, TME-unconstrained mild photothermal-controllable redox therapy in situ injectable postoperative implant, which was loaded with sodium persulfate nanoparticles (DSPE-PEG modified Na 2 S 2 O 8 nanoparticles, PSNPs) and photothermal materials (DSPE-PEG modified NaNdF 4 , PNdNPs). Mild photothermal effect regulates the thermosensitive hydrogel and the decomposition rate of PSNPs to make the decomposition of PSNPs controllable. The PSNPs gradually release and decompose, generating ·OH and ·SO 4 − without being constrained by TME. With the decomposition of PSNPs, a substantial amount of Na + is transported into cells through endocytosis, thereby bypassing conventional cellular ion transport mechanisms and enhancing the killing effect on tumors. Furthermore, the small-sized materials can be metabolized and expelled, exhibiting excellent biodegradability. This study introduces a novel mild photothermal-controllable redox therapy strategy for the postoperative management of triple-negative breast cancer.