Colorectal cancer (CRC) remains a challenging and deadly disease with high tumor microenvironment (TME) heterogeneity. Traditional cancer treatments, including surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy often suffer from severe adverse effects and high drug resistance, leading to the therapeutic efficacy being less than satisfactory. The TME has been recognized as a key player in tumor progression and metastasis in CRC. For example, In CRC, CBS-derived H2S promotes angiogenesis and vasorelaxation, thereby supporting tumor growth. To overcome these “Achilles heel,” nanomaterial-based chemotherapy, targeted therapy, photodynamic therapy, photothermal therapy, chemodynamic therapy, and sonodynamic therapy are being used for cancer treatment. Nanoparticles-based tumor immunogenic cell death (ICD) mainly by apoptosis has shown substantial potential for treating tumors. However, other cell death mechanisms associated with antitumor immunity like pyroptosis and ferroptosis offer a new doorway to explore tumor immunotherapy. Recently, semiconducting materials have been used as an Apollo’s arrow to tumor cells. Typically, when a semiconductor is illuminated by light with energy higher than its bandgap, the electrons in its valence band (VB) can be excited to the conduction band (CB) and participate in reduction reactions; correspondingly, holes are generated on VB, and participate in oxidation reactions. Meanwhile, photocatalytic materials also possess favorable photothermal conversion efficiency under NIR light which can be exploited for photothermal therapy. However, the challenges for photocatalytic performance in tumors are diverse, such as rapid recombination of photoexcited electrons/holes, tumor environment, surface protein corona formation during systemic circulation, etc. Therefore, more efforts and precise engineering are required to make these materials appropriate to deliver a fatal blow to tumor cells and act as an Apollo Arrow.

A major focus of our laboratory is to engineer and develop novel narrow band gap nano-heterostructures as well as semiconducting polymer nanoparticles to overcome heterogeneous tumor microenvironment barriers, enhance substrate selectivity, and promote tumor catalytic therapy to induce cell deaths with pyroptosis, ferroptosis, and cuproptosis.

Students with a robust background in organic/inorganic chemistry and lab synthesis are welcome to join our research team. Explore the exciting opportunity to advance your career in nanomedicine for tumor therapy with us.

The project duration will be 5-6 months, and we invite students who have completed their master's degree to apply. Selected candidates will receive a stipend of up to 15,000 NT$ per month, and accommodation will be provided in NTHU's student dormitory. The applicants are responsible for covering their dormitory payments and travel expenses.

Keywords: Semiconductor nanoparticles, immunogenic cell death, pyroptosis, ferroptosis, cuproptosis.