CaO2/Fe3O4 nanocomposites for oxygen-independent generation of radicals and cancer therapy.

Abstract The hypoxic tumor environment prevents the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), reducing the therapeutic efficiency. We construct oleylamine (OA) coated CaO2/Fe3O4 nanocomposites to realize oxygen-independent generation of ROS and high efficient treatment of cancer. In the tumor site, CaO2 reacts with water to generate H2O2, which can be catalized by Fe2+ that is produced by Fe3O4, to form highly toxic hydroxyl radicals (∙OH). To inhibit the premature reaction, CaO2/Fe3O4 nanoparticles were coated with pH sensitive OA. The nanocomposites exhibited remarkable tumor growth inhibition ability and favorable biocompatibility, holding a great potential for hypoxic tumor therapy.