Magneto-Electrically Enhanced Intracellular Catalysis of FePt-FeC Heterostructures for Chemodynamic Therapy

Intracellular catalytic reactions can tailor tumor cell plasticity toward high-efficiency treatments, but the application is hindered by the low efficiency of intracellular catalysis. Here, a magneto-electronic approach is developed for efficient intracellular catalysis by inducing eddy currents of FePt-FeC heterostructures in mild alternating magnetic fields (frequency of f = 96 kHz and amplitude of B ≤ 70 mT). Finite element simulation shows a high density of induced charges gathering at the interface of FePt-FeC heterostructure in the alternating magnetic field. As a result, the concentration of an essential coenzyme—β-nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide—in cancer cells is significantly reduced by the enhanced catalytic hydrogenation reaction of FePt-FeC heterostructures under alternating magnetic stimulation, leading to over 80% of senescent cancer cells—a vulnerable phenotype that facilitates further treatment. It is further demonstrated that senescent cancer cells can be efficiently killed by the chemodynamic therapy based on the enhanced Fenton-like reaction. By promoting intracellular catalytic reactions in tumors, this approach may enable precise catalytic tumor treatment.