Near-infrared-II (NIR-II, 1000-1350 nm) phototherapy offers deep tissue penetration and precise tumor ablation, yet its efficacy is hindered by the heterogeneous tumor microenvironment (TME) (hypoxia, acidity, and elevated H2O2). Herein, MnFe2O4 nanospheres with TME-responsive and NIR-II-activatable properties were synthesized via a one-pot solvothermal method by varying the reaction time. Under 1064 nm irradiation, the optimized reaction time of 24 h nanoferrites (MFO-24) exhibited a photothermal conversion efficiency of 53.43% for PTT and generated singlet oxygen (1O2) with a quantum yield of 86.3% for PDT. In the TME, the MFO-24 catalyzed Fenton reactions (Fe2+/Fe3+, Mn2+/Mn4+) to produce hydroxyl radicals for chemodynamic therapy (CDT), while their catalase-like activity generated O2 to relieve tumor hypoxia, thereby enhancing PDT efficacy. Notably, NIR-II-induced hyperthermia accelerated reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, synergistically enhancing PDT and CDT. In vitro assays confirmed that the MFO-24 nanospheres exhibited good biocompatibility with normal cells while inducing significant cytotoxicity in tumor cells. This triple-modal nanosystem demonstrates a feasible strategy for engineering NIR-II/TME-responsive spinel ferrites for synergistic cancer therapy.
Li et al. (2026) studied this question.