Team Led by Professor Dong Ha Kim Develops the World’s First Bioorthogonal Reaction-based Nanocatalytic Platform...
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- Date2025.07.10
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Team Led by Professor Dong Ha Kim Develops the World’s First Bioorthogonal Reaction-based Nanocatalytic Platform for Cancer Therapy
A research team led by Professor Dong Ha Kim at the Department of Chemistry & Nanoscience has successfully developed the world’s first bioorthogonal reaction-based plasmonic-catalytic hybrid nanoplatform for precision cancer therapy. This research finding is gaining attention for enhancing both the precision and reaction efficiency of bioorthogonal reactions—a next-generation technology for precision tumor therapy. The research project was published on July 4 (Fri.) in Advanced Materials, one of the world’s most prestigious materials science journals (top one percent of the Journal Citation Indicator (JCI) Chemistry, Multidisciplinary category).
Bioorthogonal reactions refer to a next-generation precision therapeutic strategy that selectively activates drugs in cancer cells without affecting normal cells. Conventional technologies, however, show low reaction efficiency in human physiological environments, while also lacking precise control over the timing and location of drug activation.
In order to solve these technological challenges, it was necessary to develop nanocatalysts with higher reaction efficiency and easier controllability. Building on this idea, Professor Kim’s team designed a new nanoplatform that integrates three components: an Au nanoparticle, a Pd nanocatalyst, and a pro-photosensitizer. The novel nanoplatform entails the precise conjugation of Pd particles at the tips of Au nanoparticles, improving both the light absorption of Au and the catalytic activity of Pd. The platform also incorporates the light-responsive allyl carbamate-conjugated methylene blue prodrug, which leads to site-specific drug activation. In particular, this nanoplatform enables precise spatiotemporal control of the prodrug’s cleavage reaction by simultaneously irradiating light at wavelengths of 808 nanometers and 655 nanometers and inducing electron transfer through the plasmonic effect.
The research team’s findings confirmed a ninefold enhancement in prodrug activation compared to conventional strategies, while demonstrating precise in-vivo control of the reaction. Both in-vitro and in-vivo studies demonstrated the remarkable tumor-suppressing capability of the bioorthogonal system, which is attributed to the photothermal therapy and photoinduced plasmon electron transfer (PiPET) effects, along with the prevention of leuko-MB formation.
Professor Dong Ha Kim predicted that this technology will offer an innovative solution for tumor therapy through precise phototherapeutic strategies.
Read the paper: https://advanced.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/adma.202418134?af=R