Self‐Assembly of Selenium‐Doped Carbon Quantum Dots as Antioxidants for Hepatic Ischemia‐Reperfusion Injury Management

Abstract Hepatic ischemia‐reperfusion injury (HIRI) is a critical complication after liver surgery that negatively affects surgical outcomes of patients with the end‐stage liver‐related disease. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are responsible for the development of ischemia‐reperfusion injury and eventually lead to hepatic dysfunction. Selenium‐doped carbon quantum dots (Se‐CQDs) with an excellent redox‐responsive property can effectively scavenge ROS and protect cells from oxidation. However, the accumulation of Se‐CQDs in the liver is extremely low. To address this concern, the fabrication of Se‐CQDs‐lecithin nanoparticles (Se‐LEC NPs) is developed through self‐assembly mainly driven by the noncovalent interactions. Lecithin acting as the self‐assembly building block also makes a pivotal contribution to the therapeutic performance of Se‐LEC NPs due to its capability to react with ROS. The fabricated Se‐LEC NPs largely accumulate in the liver, effectively scavenge ROS and inhibit the release of inflammatory cytokines, thus exerting beneficial therapeutic efficacy on HIRI. This work may open a new avenue for the design of self‐assembled Se‐CQDs NPs for the treatment of HIRI and other ROS‐related diseases.