Nanozymes Act in Cancer Cells

Synthetic nanoparticles known as nanozymes mimic the properties of natural enzymes. In the long term, they could support more targeted drug activation and make chemical processes more sustainable. Natural enzymes serve as a model: They control chemical reactions in the body with great precision, but are often too unstable outside their biological environment. Researchers at Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), together with international partners, have now developed metal-free nanozymes that remain stable in water and enable enzyme-like reactions.

Drug Precursor Activated in Cancer Cells

“Such materials are highly interesting because they are suitable for a wide range of applications, from industrial catalysis to biomedical applications,” explains Dr Pierre Picchetti of KIT’s Institute of Nanotechnology (INT). “The fact that catalysis works in water is an important step towards greater sustainability.”

The nanostructures are based on so-called silsesquioxanes: tiny structures made of silicon, oxygen and organic building blocks that carry amino groups on their surface which trigger chemical reactions. “We can specifically tune the activity of the nanozymes,” explains first author Rabia Zahid of INT. “Chemical signals determine whether the particles aggregate or dissociate. This alters their catalytic activity.”

To investigate how the artificial enzymes behave in biological systems, the team used cancer cell models of aggressive brain tumours and malignant melanoma. The nanozymes enter the cells and activate a initially inactive precursor of the cancer drug doxorubicin. Only after this activation does the substance damage the cancer cells. The experiments thus demonstrate a possible principle for controlled drug activation in cells.

ihe, June 1, 2026