Role of photobleaching process of indocyanine green for killing neuroblastoma cells

Laser-responsive erastin-loaded chondroitin sulfate nanomedicine targeting CD44 and system xc- in liver cancer: A non-ferroptotic approach

Erastin, a ferroptosis-inducing system xc- inhibitor, faces clinical challenges due to suboptimal physicochemical and pharmacokinetic properties, as well as relatively low potency and off-target toxicity. Addressing these, we developed ECINs, a novel laser-responsive erastin-loaded nanomedicine utilizing indocyanine green (ICG)-grafted chondroitin sulfate A (CSA) derivatives. Our aim was to improve erastin's tumor targeting via CSA-CD44 interactions and enhance its antitumor efficacy through ICG's photothermal and photodynamic effects in the laser-on state while minimizing off-target effects in the laser-off state. ECINs, with their nanoscale size of 186.7 ± 1.1 nm and high erastin encapsulation efficiency of 93.0 ± 0.8%, showed excellent colloidal stability and sustained drug release up to 120 h. In vitro, ECINs demonstrated a mechanism of cancer cell inhibition via G1-phase cell cycle arrest, indicating a non-ferroptotic action. In vivo biodistribution studies in SK-HEP-1 xenograft mice revealed that ECINs significantly enhanced tumor distribution of erastin (1.9-fold greater than free erastin) while substantially reducing off-target accumulation in the lungs and spleen by 203-fold and 19.1-fold, respectively. Combined with laser irradiation, ECINs significantly decreased tumor size (2.6-fold, compared to free erastin; 2.4-fold, compared to ECINs without laser irradiation) with minimal systemic toxicity. This study highlights ECINs as a dual-modality approach for liver cancer treatment, demonstrating significant efficacy against tumors overexpressing CD44 and system xc-.

Electrospun Silk-ICG Composite Fibers and the Application toward Hemorrhage Control

In trauma and surgery, efficient hemorrhage control is crucial to avert fatal blood loss and increase the likelihood of survival. There is a significant demand for novel biomaterials capable of promptly and effectively managing bleeding. This study aimed to develop flexible biocomposite fibrous scaffolds with an electrospinning technique using silk fibroin (SF) and indocyanine green (ICG). The FDA-approved ICG dye has unique photothermal properties. The water permeability, degradability, and biocompatibility of Bombyx mori cocoon-derived SF make it promising for biomedical applications. While as-spun SF-ICG fibers were dissolvable in water, ethanol vapor treatment (EVT) effectively induced secondary structural changes to promote β-sheet formation. This resulted in significantly improved aqueous stability and mechanical strength of the fibers, thereby increasing their fluid uptake capability. The enhanced SF-ICG interaction effectively prevented ICG leaching from the composite fibers, enabling them to generate heat under NIR irradiation due to ICG's photothermal properties. Our results showed that an SF-ICG 0.4% fibrous matrix can uptake 473% water. When water was replaced by bovine blood, a 25 s NIR irradiation induced complete blood coagulation. However, pure silk did not have the same effect. Additionally, NIR irradiation of the SF-ICG fibers successfully stopped the flow of blood in an in vitro model that mimicked a damaged blood vessel. This novel breakthrough offers a biotextile platform poised to enhance patient outcomes across various medical scenarios, representing a significant milestone in functional biomaterials.

Ambient Light Resistant Shortwave Infrared Fluorescence Imaging for Preclinical Tumor Delineation via the pH Low-Insertion Peptide Conjugated to Indocyanine Green

Shortwave infrared (900-1,700 nm) fluorescence imaging (SWIRFI) has shown significant advantages over visible (400-650 nm) and near-infrared (700-900 nm) fluorescence imaging (reduced autofluorescence, improved contrast, tissue resolution, and depth sensitivity). However, there is a major lag in the clinical translation of preclinical SWIRFI systems and targeted SWIRFI probes. Methods: We preclinically show that the pH low-insertion peptide conjugated to indocyanine green (pHLIP ICG), currently in clinical trials, is an excellent candidate for cancer-targeted SWIRFI. Results: pHLIP ICG SWIRFI achieved picomolar sensitivity (0.4 nM) with binary and unambiguous tumor screening and resection up to 96 h after injection in an orthotopic breast cancer mouse model. SWIRFI tumor screening and resection had ambient light resistance (possible without gating or filtering) with outstanding signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) values at exposures from 10 to 0.1 ms. These SNR and CNR values were also found for the extended emission of pHLIP ICG in vivo (>1,100 nm, 300 ms). Conclusion: SWIRFI sensitivity and ambient light resistance enabled continued tracer clearance tracking with unparalleled SNR and CNR values at video rates for tumor delineation (achieving a tumor-to-muscle ratio above 20). In total, we provide a direct precedent for the democratic translation of an ambient light resistant SWIRFI and pHLIP ICG ecosystem, which can instantly improve tumor resection.

Platelet-mimetic nano-sensor for combating postoperative recurrence and wound infection of triple-negative breast cancer

Tumor recurrence mainly triggered by tumor residual cells significantly contributes to mortality following breast tumor resection, and meanwhile post-surgical bacterial wound infections may accelerate tumor recurrence due to a series of infection-related complications. In this study, a nano-sensor system, Van-ICG@PLT, is constructed by a membrane camouflage and small molecule drug self-assembly strategy. This nano-sensor harnesses the innate tropism of platelets (PLT) to deliver vancomycin (Van) and indocyanine green (ICG) to surgical incisions, effectively eliminating both residual tumor cells and bacterial infections. Our findings demonstrate that Van-ICG@PLT preferentially accumulates at surgical wound. Under near-infrared (NIR) laser irradiation, Van-ICG@PLT exhibits significant cytotoxicity against 4T1 cells. Additionally, it is found to significantly promote ROS production thus inhibiting Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) growth, underscoring the synergistic benefits of phototherapy in combination with antibiotic treatment. In the 4T1 post-surgery recurrence mice model, Van-ICG@PLT is shown to efficiently ablate tumors in tumor-bearing mice (tumor inhibition rate of about 83%), and it demonstrates an excellent anti-infective effect in mice abscess models. Taken together, Van-ICG@PLT represents a promising paradigm in post-surgical adjuvant therapy (PAT). Its dual benefit in inhibiting cancer growth and promoting antibacterial activity makes Van-ICG@PLT a valuable addition to the existing arsenal of therapeutic options available for breast cancer patients.

Development of novel polymeric nanoagents and their potential in cancer diagnosis and therapy runing title: Polymeric nanoagents for cancer theranostics

Cancer has been one of the leading factors of death around the world. Cancer patients usually have low 5-year survival rates and poor life quality requiring substantial improvement. In clinic, the presenting diagnostic strategies lack sensitivity with only a small proportion of patients can be accurately identified. For diagnosed patients, most of them are at the advanced stages thus being delayed to receive treatment. Therefore, it is eager to investigate and develop highly effective and accurate techniques for cancer early diagnosis and individualized therapy. Various nanoplatforms are emerging as imaging agents and drug carriers for cancer theranostics recently. Novel polymeric nanoagents, as a potent exemplar, have extraordinary merits, such as good stability, high biosafety and high drug loading efficacy, showing the great prospect for cancer early diagnosis and precise treatment. Herein, we review the recent advances in novel polymeric nanoagents and elucidate their synthesis procedures. We further introduce the applications of novel polymeric nanoagents in cancer diagnosis, treatment, and theranostics, as well as associated challenges and prospects in this field.