This research develops “nanozymes,” nanoparticle-based catalysts that activate cancer drugs directly at tumor sites. Instead of carrying large amounts of chemotherapy drugs, nanozymes locally trigger inactive drugs into their active form only within cancer tissue. Early mouse studies show effective tumor destruction with significantly reduced side effects compared to conventional chemotherapy.

his talk outlines the scale of cancer in Canada and argues that traditional chemotherapy, while important, is limited by toxicity, discomfort, and poor tumor targeting. It highlights promising newer approaches including nanoparticle drug delivery, liposomal therapies, complex nanotherapies with imaging and heat generation, and future possibilities such as cancer vaccines.