Destroying pathogen-tumor symbionts synergizing with catalytic therapy of colorectal cancer by biomimetic protein-supported single-atom nanozyme

The crucial role of intratumoral bacteria in the progression of cancer has been gradually recognized with the development of sequencing technology. Several intratumoral bacteria which have been identified as pathogens of cancer that induce progression, metastasis, and poor outcome of cancer, while tumor vascular networks and immunosuppressive microenvironment provide shelters for pathogens localization. Thus, the mutually-beneficial interplay between pathogens and tumors, named “pathogen-tumor symbionts”, is probably a potential therapeutic site for tumor treatment. Herein, we proposed a destroying pathogen-tumor symbionts strategy that kills intratumoral pathogens, F. nucleatum, to break the symbiont and synergize to kill colorectal cancer (CRC) cells. This strategy was achieved by a groundbreaking protein-supported copper single-atom nanozyme (BSA-Cu SAN) which was inspired by the structures of native enzymes that are based on protein, with metal elements as the active center. BSA-Cu SAN can exert catalytic therapy by generating reactive oxygen species (ROS) and depleting GSH. The in vitro and in vivo experiments demonstrate that BSA-Cu SAN passively targets tumor sites and efficiently scavenges F. nucleatum in situ to destroy pathogen-tumor symbionts. As a result, ROS resistance of CRC through elevated autophagy mediated by F. nucleatum was relieved, contributing to apoptosis of cancer cells induced by intracellular redox imbalance generated by BSA-Cu SAN. Particularly, BSA-Cu SAN experiences renal clearance, avoiding long-term systemic toxicity. This work provides a feasible paradigm for destroying pathogen-tumor symbionts to block intratumoral pathogens interplay with CRC for antitumor therapy and an optimized trail for the SAN catalytic therapy by the clearable protein-supported SAN.