Electrotherapy strategies have shown great potential in tumor treatment, especially in electrodynamic therapy (EDT) which utilizes platinum based (Pt) nanomaterials to catalyze the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) under an electric field to kill tumor cells. However, traditional electrocatalytic reactions are limited by the two-dimensional space of the electrode/electrolyte interface, the reaction area is limited, and the catalytic efficiency is not high. In addition, how to organically combine electrotherapy with chemotherapy and immunotherapy to achieve synergistic effects is an important direction in current cancer treatment research.

On March 11, 2026, ACS Nano reported that researchers had developed an injectable composite conductive hydrogel (SA/ Gel@PPy /Pt NWs/Pt NPs， Abbreviated as SGPP CHs. The hydrogel is based on sodium alginate, and is passed through gelatin @ polypyrrole（ Gel@PPy ）Collaborate with platinum nanowires (Pt NWs) to construct a three-dimensional conductive network and load platinum nanoparticles (Pt NPs).

The injectable conductive gel is applied in situ to wrap tumor tissue. Then, two platinum needle electrodes are inserted into the gel area, and the internal three-dimensional electrode network is connected with the external circuit to form a complete conductive circuit for treatment. The introduction of three-dimensional electrode network breaks through the space limitation of traditional electrocatalysis technology and extends the active interface from the surface of platinum electrode to the three-dimensional space of hydrogel, thus significantly improving the catalytic efficiency. Under the action of square wave alternating current, the chloride ion pre loaded in the hydrogel can promote the continuous occurrence of catalytic electroreduction (CER) on platinum nanowires and platinum electrodes.

The platform utilizes endogenous chloride ions to continuously produce hypochlorous acid (HClO), while HClO oxidizes and degrades platinum materials, releasing platinum ions (Pt2+/Pt4+). The two synergistically induce immunogenic cell death (ICD) of tumor cells and activate anti-tumor immunity. In addition, the excellent injectability of the hydrogel enables it to achieve the bonding and coverage of tumor tissue, significantly increasing the contact area, thus promoting the effective accumulation and local release of therapeutic agents (hypochlorite, platinum ions) at the focus, and synergistically enhancing the immune activation and platinum chemotherapy effects.

It is worth noting that the controllable degradation of platinum based materials during electrotherapy further enhances the biocompatibility and safety of the treatment platform. In the breast cancer mouse model, the tumor inhibition rate was 83%, and the anti-tumor immune response was effectively activated.
This study provides a new approach for electrotherapy strategies to overcome interface limitations and achieve multimodal collaborative therapy.

Literature name: Electrocatalysis-Triggered Synergistic Chemo-Immunotherapy Enabled by an Implantable Conductive Hydrogel with a 3D Nanoelectrode Network