Au@CeO2 nanozyme-based targeted delivery platform for computed tomography-guided synergistic antioxidant/mild photothermal therapy of inflammatory bowel disease.

The progression of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is exacerbated significantly by the excess production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and pro-inflammatory cytokines In this report, a colon-targeted nanotheranostic agent, Au@CeO2 nanozymes@Eudragit S100 (termed as AuCeP@Eudragit), was prepared for computed tomography (CT)-guided synergistic antioxidant therapy and mild photothermal therapy (mPTT) of IBD by encapsulating polyacrylic acid-coated Au@CeO2 nanozymes (termed as AuCeP) into Eudragit 100. Due to its strong antioxidant and photothermal properties, AuCeP exhibits excellent ROS-scavenging activity and reduces pro-inflammatory cytokine levels, which can be further enhanced under mild 808 nm near-infrared (NIR) laser irradiation. Moreover, the contrast of intestinal CT imaging can be enhanced by the AuCeP@Eudragit introduction, because of the colon targeting of AuCeP@Eudragit as well as the strong X-ray absorption capacity. AuCeP@Eudragit shows good biocompatibility and favorable therapeutic effects in dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced acute colitis, demonstrating its potential use in IBD treatment.