Efficacy and safety of Fe-curcumin coordination polymer nanodots to prevent corneal neovascularization in alkali burn models

Abstract Alkali burns pose a significant risk of corneal injury, leading to potential blindness. During the progression of alkali burns, heightened oxidation levels can induce corneal damage, resulting in diminished clarity and vision loss. In this study, we chose metallic iron in conjunction with a...

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Main Authors: Yan Huo, Lele Song, Zhihui Han, Yihan Yang, Tianyao Wang, Zhao Chen, Qi Yang, Yongkang Qiu, Wenpeng Huang, Ran Tao, Liang Cheng, Lei Kang
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMC 2025-07-01
Series:Journal of Nanobiotechnology
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Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1186/s12951-025-03555-z
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author Yan Huo
Lele Song
Zhihui Han
Yihan Yang
Tianyao Wang
Zhao Chen
Qi Yang
Yongkang Qiu
Wenpeng Huang
Ran Tao
Liang Cheng
Lei Kang
author_facet Yan Huo
Lele Song
Zhihui Han
Yihan Yang
Tianyao Wang
Zhao Chen
Qi Yang
Yongkang Qiu
Wenpeng Huang
Ran Tao
Liang Cheng
Lei Kang
author_sort Yan Huo
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Alkali burns pose a significant risk of corneal injury, leading to potential blindness. During the progression of alkali burns, heightened oxidation levels can induce corneal damage, resulting in diminished clarity and vision loss. In this study, we chose metallic iron in conjunction with a small molecule, curcumin, to synthesize a curcumin-iron coordinated nanocomposite aimed at enhancing the bioaccessibility and targeting capabilities of curcumin. It could be found that Fe-curcumin coordination polymer nanodots (Fe-Cur CPNs) were comparably effective in suppressing corneal neovascularization, and they exhibited notable advantages in promoting corneal epithelial repair with minimal adverse effects. Additionally, Fe-Cur CPNs inhibited the activation of the nuclear factor-κ-gene binding (NF-κB) signaling pathway by scavenging reactive oxygen species (ROS), thus mitigating corneal neovascularization, which might represent a potential mechanism underlying the therapeutic effect of the Fe-Cur CPNs in alkali burn treatment. Moreover, treatment with the Fe-Cur CPNs did not result in any signs of cytotoxicity, hematological toxicity, or internal organ damage, further confirming the safety profile of this therapeutic agent. In conclusion, Fe-Cur CPNs present a novel, safe, and efficacious approach for addressing corneal alkali burns.
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issn 1477-3155
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spelling doaj-art-4e61bfe3b1024307bbf2ea18f26450f42025-08-20T03:42:57ZengBMCJournal of Nanobiotechnology1477-31552025-07-0123111810.1186/s12951-025-03555-zEfficacy and safety of Fe-curcumin coordination polymer nanodots to prevent corneal neovascularization in alkali burn modelsYan Huo0Lele Song1Zhihui Han2Yihan Yang3Tianyao Wang4Zhao Chen5Qi Yang6Yongkang Qiu7Wenpeng Huang8Ran Tao9Liang Cheng10Lei Kang11Department of Nuclear Medicine, Peking University First HospitalDepartment of Nuclear Medicine, Peking University First HospitalInstitute of Functional Nano & Soft Materials (FUNSOM), College of Nano Science & Technology (CNST), Collaborative Innovation Center of Suzhou Nano Science and Technology, Soochow UniversityDepartment of Nuclear Medicine, Peking University First HospitalDepartment of Nuclear Medicine, Peking University First HospitalDepartment of Nuclear Medicine, Peking University First HospitalDepartment of Nuclear Medicine, Peking University First HospitalDepartment of Nuclear Medicine, Peking University First HospitalDepartment of Nuclear Medicine, Peking University First HospitalDepartment of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, The First Medical Center of Chinese PLA General HospitalInstitute of Functional Nano & Soft Materials (FUNSOM), College of Nano Science & Technology (CNST), Collaborative Innovation Center of Suzhou Nano Science and Technology, Soochow UniversityDepartment of Nuclear Medicine, Peking University First HospitalAbstract Alkali burns pose a significant risk of corneal injury, leading to potential blindness. During the progression of alkali burns, heightened oxidation levels can induce corneal damage, resulting in diminished clarity and vision loss. In this study, we chose metallic iron in conjunction with a small molecule, curcumin, to synthesize a curcumin-iron coordinated nanocomposite aimed at enhancing the bioaccessibility and targeting capabilities of curcumin. It could be found that Fe-curcumin coordination polymer nanodots (Fe-Cur CPNs) were comparably effective in suppressing corneal neovascularization, and they exhibited notable advantages in promoting corneal epithelial repair with minimal adverse effects. Additionally, Fe-Cur CPNs inhibited the activation of the nuclear factor-κ-gene binding (NF-κB) signaling pathway by scavenging reactive oxygen species (ROS), thus mitigating corneal neovascularization, which might represent a potential mechanism underlying the therapeutic effect of the Fe-Cur CPNs in alkali burn treatment. Moreover, treatment with the Fe-Cur CPNs did not result in any signs of cytotoxicity, hematological toxicity, or internal organ damage, further confirming the safety profile of this therapeutic agent. In conclusion, Fe-Cur CPNs present a novel, safe, and efficacious approach for addressing corneal alkali burns.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12951-025-03555-zFe-curcumin coordination polymer nanodots (Fe-Cur CPNs)Corneal alkali burnNeovascularizationReactive oxygen speciesToxicity
spellingShingle Yan Huo
Lele Song
Zhihui Han
Yihan Yang
Tianyao Wang
Zhao Chen
Qi Yang
Yongkang Qiu
Wenpeng Huang
Ran Tao
Liang Cheng
Lei Kang
Efficacy and safety of Fe-curcumin coordination polymer nanodots to prevent corneal neovascularization in alkali burn models
Journal of Nanobiotechnology
Fe-curcumin coordination polymer nanodots (Fe-Cur CPNs)
Corneal alkali burn
Neovascularization
Reactive oxygen species
Toxicity
title Efficacy and safety of Fe-curcumin coordination polymer nanodots to prevent corneal neovascularization in alkali burn models
title_full Efficacy and safety of Fe-curcumin coordination polymer nanodots to prevent corneal neovascularization in alkali burn models
title_fullStr Efficacy and safety of Fe-curcumin coordination polymer nanodots to prevent corneal neovascularization in alkali burn models
title_full_unstemmed Efficacy and safety of Fe-curcumin coordination polymer nanodots to prevent corneal neovascularization in alkali burn models
title_short Efficacy and safety of Fe-curcumin coordination polymer nanodots to prevent corneal neovascularization in alkali burn models
title_sort efficacy and safety of fe curcumin coordination polymer nanodots to prevent corneal neovascularization in alkali burn models
topic Fe-curcumin coordination polymer nanodots (Fe-Cur CPNs)
Corneal alkali burn
Neovascularization
Reactive oxygen species
Toxicity
url https://doi.org/10.1186/s12951-025-03555-z
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