In a paper published in Mycology, an international team of scientists mainly reported the isolation and characterization of two new pairs of (±)-penithrones A (1) and B (2), and a chlorinated derivative (±)-penithrone C (3), along with their biogenetic precursors (4–6), from the mangrove-derived fungus Penicillium hispanicum LA032. The study demonstrated significant cytotoxic activity of compounds 1 and 2 against multiple cancer cell lines (IC₅₀ = 5.09–9.47 μmol/L), and identified MAPK10 as a potential molecular target through integrated network pharmacology and molecular docking approaches, providing new insights into fungal-derived anticancer agents.

In biology textbooks and beyond, the human genome and DNA therein typically are taught in only one dimension. While it can be helpful for learners to begin with the linear presentation of how stretches of DNA form genes, this oversimplification undersells the significance of the genome’s 3D structure. Problems with this 3D structure are associated with many diseases including developmental disorders and cancer.

Single-atom nanozymes (SAzymes) hold significant potential for tumor catalytic therapy, but their effectiveness is often compromised by low catalytic efficiency within tumor microenvironment. This efficiency is mainly influenced by key factors including hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) availability, acidity, and temperature. Simultaneous optimization of these key factors presents a significant challenge for tumor catalytic therapy. In this study, we developed a comprehensive strategy to refine single-atom catalytic kinetics for enhancing tumor catalytic therapy through dual-enzyme-driven cascade reactions. Iridium (Ir) SAzymes with high catalytic activity and natural enzyme glucose oxidase (GOx) were utilized to construct the cascade reaction system. GOx was loaded by Ir SAzymes due to its large surface area. Then, the dual-enzyme-driven cascade reaction system was modified by cancer cell membranes for improving biocompatibility and achieving tumor homologous targeting ability. GOx catalysis reaction could produce abundant H₂O₂ and lower the local pH, thereby optimizing key reaction-limiting factors. Additionally, upon laser irradiation, Ir SAzymes could raise local temperature, further enhancing the catalytic efficiency of dual-enzyme system. This comprehensive optimization maximized the performance of Ir SAzymes, significantly improving the efficiency of catalytic therapy. Our findings present a strategy of refining single-atom catalytic kinetics for tumor homologous-targeted catalytic therapy.