Catalytically active NaNbO3 nanorods for sonodynamic cancer therapy

Sonodynamic therapy (SDT) has received a lot of interest due to its deep tissue penetration and lack of invasiveness. However, SDT still prioritizes the creation of highly effective, multifunctional, and biocompatible sonosensitizers to improve the therapeutic efficiency. In this study, sodium niobate (NaNbO3) nanosonosensitizers are rationed synthesized for SDT for the first time. NaNbO3 nanosonosensitizers with semiconductor characteristics are proved to generate large amounts of reactive oxygen species and induce cell apoptosis under ultrasound irradiation. In vitro anti-tumor theranostic results confirm the mitochondrial dysfunction-dependent death pathway. In vivo tumor xenograft evaluation demonstrates that NaNbO3 will massively induce cytotoxicity and tumor eradication under ultrasound irradiation. These results provide the paradigm of the utilization of novel nanosonosensitizers as a therapeutic nanoplatform in treating breast cancer cells.