Multifunctional Cu39S28 Hollow Nanopeanuts for In Vivo Targeted Photothermal Chemotherapy

Folic acid modified precision nanocarriers: charting new frontiers in breast cancer management beyond conventional therapies

Breast cancer presents a significant global health challenge, ranking highest incidence rate among all types of cancers. Functionalised nanocarriers offer a promising solution for precise drug delivery by actively targeting cancer cells through specific receptors, notably folate receptors. By overcoming the limitations of passive targeting in conventional therapies, this approach holds the potential for enhanced treatment efficacy through combination therapy. Encouraging outcomes from studies like in vitro and in vivo, underscore the promise of this innovative approach. This review explores the therapeutic potential of FA (Folic acid) functionalised nanocarriers tailored for breast cancer management, discussing various chemical modification techniques for functionalization. It examines FA-conjugated nanocarriers containing chemotherapeutics to enhance treatment efficacy and addresses the pharmacokinetic aspect of these functionalised nanocarriers. Additionally, the review integrates active targeting via folic acid with theranostics, photothermal therapy, and photodynamic therapy, offering a comprehensive management strategy. Emphasising rigorous experimental validation for practical utility, the review underscores the need to bridge laboratory research to clinical application. While these functionalised nanocarriers show promise, their credibility and applicability in real-world settings necessitate thorough validation for effective clinical use.

Mild photothermal therapy assist in promoting bone repair: Related mechanism and materials

Achieving precision treatment in bone tissue engineering (BTE) remains a challenge. Photothermal therapy (PTT), as a form of precision therapy, has been extensively investigated for its safety and efficacy. It has demonstrated significant potential in the treatment of orthopedic diseases such as bone tumors, postoperative infections and osteoarthritis. However, the high temperatures associated with PTT can lead to certain limitations and drawbacks. In recent years, researchers have explored the use of biomaterials for mild photothermal therapy (MPT), which offers a promising approach for addressing these limitations. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the mechanisms underlying MPT and presents a compilation of photothermal agents and their utilization strategies for bone tissue repair. Additionally, the paper discusses the future prospects of MPT-assisted bone tissue regeneration, aiming to provide insights and recommendations for optimizing material design in this field.

Albumin-templated platinum (II) sulfide nanodots for size-dependent cancer theranostics

Transition-metal chalcogenides, such as noble metal chalcogenides, hold tremendous potential as efficient agents for photo-induced cancer theranostics due to their unique physicochemical properties. However, a critical bottleneck still lies in exploring simple and controllable methods to synthesize noble metal chalcogenides especially PtS for in vivo photo-induced cancer imaging and simultaneous therapy. Herein, we proposed the albumin-templated synthesis of size-controllable platinum (II) sulfide nanodots (PtS-NDs) for multimodal cancer imaging and potent photothermal therapy. PtS-NDs were precisely synthesized with a tunable size ranging from 2.1 nm to 4.5 nm through a thermodynamically controlled growth inside albumin nanocages. PtS-NDs yielded significant near-infrared (NIR) absorbance and outstanding photothermal conversion under NIR laser irradiation, as well as effective resistance to photobleaching, thereby generating remarkable in vivo photoacoustic signals and distinct hyperthermia at tumor site. Moreover, these nanodots possessed efficient cellular uptake and tumor targeting capabilities in a size-dependent manner, thus leading to controllable diagnostic and thermo-therapeutic efficacy. Specifically, PtS-NDs with core diameter of 4.5 nm displayed preferable in vivo photoacoustic and CT imaging with high sensitivity, spatially and anatomically enhanced imaging contrast, together with hyperthermia mediated tumor ablation. Thus, the albumin-templated biomimetic synthesis provided an insightful strategy on fabricating theranostic PtS-NDs for potential clinical applications. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: Noble metal chalcogenides especially PtS are of particular importance in the field of precise nanomedicine to improve both accuracy of cancer diagnosis and efficiency of tumor treatment. However, the intensively preclinical investigation of PtS was limited due to the lack of simple and controllable synthetic methods. Here, we report an albumin-templated biomineralization synthesis of platinum (II) sulfide nanodots (PtS-NDs). Specifically, albumin-templated biomineralization of PtS-NDs was induced by the electrostatic interactions between albumin and Pt²⁺, followed by the nucleation and growth inside the albumin nanocages. The resulting PtS-NDs showed good dispersibility and biosafety, as well as size-dependent photophysical properties and biological behaviors. Therefore, albumin-based biomineralization is a promising and safe strategy to facilely fabricate Pt-based chalcogenide for tumor theranostics.

Environmentally responsive dual-targeting nanotheranostics for overcoming cancer multidrug resistance

The development of multiple drug resistance (MDR) to chemotherapy and subsequent treatment failures are major obstacles in cancer therapy. An attractive option for combating MDR is inhibiting the expression of P-glycoprotein (P-gp) in tumor cells. Here, we report a novel chemosensitizing agent, XMD8-92, which can down-regulate P-gp. To enhance the specificity of MDR chemotherapy, a promising nanotheranostic micelle system based on poly(ethylene glycol)-blocked-poly(L-leucine) (PEG-b-Leu) was developed to simultaneously carry the anticancer drug doxorubicin, chemosensitizing agent XMD8-92, and superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIOs). Featured with MDR environmentally responsive dual-targeting capability, controllable drug delivery, and efficient magnetic resonance (MR) imaging characteristics, the prepared nanotheranostics (DXS@NPs) showed outstanding in vitro cytotoxicity on MDR cells (SCG 7901/VCR) with only 53% of cells surviving compared to 90% of DOX-treated cells. Furthermore, efficient tumor inhibition and highly reduced systemic toxicity were exhibited by MDR tumor-bearing mice treated with DXS@NPs. Overall, the environmentally responsive dual-targeting nanotheranostics represent a promising approach for overcoming cancer MDR.

Hybrid Nanomaterials of Conjugated Polymers and Albumin for Precise Photothermal Therapy

Heretofore, conjugated polymers (CPs) attract considerable attention in photothermal therapy (PTT). Although various CPs with different structures have been reported, the suboptimal circulation persistence and biodistribution limit their efficacy in tumor treatment. Human serum albumin (HSA), an endogenous plasma protein, has been widely functioned as a carrier for therapeutic agents. Herein, we construct nanocomplex C16 pBDP@HSA nanoparticles (NPs) from hydrophobic 4,4-difluoro-4-bora-3 a,4 a-diaza- s-indacene (BODIPY)-containing CPs and HSA, which exhibit robust stability in physiological conditions and excellent photothermal activity upon irradiation. The high photothermal conversion efficiency of 37.5%, higher than that of other reported PTT agents such as gold nanorods, phosphorus quantum dots, and 2D materials, results in the potent photocytotoxicity toward cancer cells. Simultaneously, C16 pBDP@HSA NPs' capabilities of near-infrared fluorescence and photoacoustic imaging can provide guidance to the PTT. The outstanding inhibition of tumor growth results from great photothermal activity, the benefited accumulation in tumor, and optimal timing of treatment. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study which combines the BODIPY-based CPs and HSA in one nanostructure and finds application in cancer treatment. Moreover, this article also offers a new strategy for other insoluble macromolecules to explore more biomedical applications.

Synthesis and evolution of S-Porphin sodium as a potential antitumor agent for photodynamic therapy against breast cancer

The novel sensitizer S-Porphin sodium can generate ROS by radiation with a long wavelength to cause tumor cell death.

Synthetic routes to nanomaterials containing anthracyclines: noncovalent systems

Chemotherapy still constitutes a basic treatment for various types of cancer. Anthracyclines are effective antineoplastic drugs that are widely used in clinical practice. Unfortunately, they are characterized by high systemic toxicity and lack of tumour selectivity. A promising way to enhance treatment effectiveness and reduce toxicity is the synthesis of systems containing anthracyclines either in the form of complexes for the encapsulation of active drugs or their covalent conjugates with inert carriers. In this respect nanotechnology offers an extensive spectrum of possible solutions. In this review, we discuss recent advances in the development of anthracycline prodrugs based on nanocarriers such as copolymers, lipids, DNA, and inorganic systems. The review focuses on the chemical architecture of the noncovalent nanocarrier-drug systems.

Enhancing Osteosarcoma Killing and CT Imaging Using Ultrahigh Drug Loading and NIR-Responsive Bismuth Sulfide@Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles

Despite its 5-year event-free survival rate increasing to 60-65% due to surgery and chemotherapy, osteosarcoma (OS) remains one of the most threatening malignant human tumors, especially in young patients. Therefore, a new approach that combines early diagnosis with efficient tumor eradication and bioimaging is urgently needed. Here, a new type of mesoporous silica-coated bismuth sulfide nanoparticles (Bi2 S3 @MSN NPs) is developed. The well distributed mesoporous pores and large surface areas hold great promise for drug protection and encapsulation (doxorubicin (DOX), 99.85%). Moreover, the high photothermal efficiency of Bi2 S3 @MSNs (36.62%) offers great possibility for cancer synergistic treatment and highly near-infrared-triggered drug release (even at an ultralow power density of 0.3 W cm-2 ). After covalently conjugated to arginine-glycine-aspartic acid (RGD) peptide [c(RGDyC)], the NPs exhibit a high specificity for osteosarcoma and finally accumulate in the tumor cells (tenfold more than peritumoral tissues) for computed tomography (CT) imaging and tumor ablation. Importantly, the synergistic photothermal therapy-chemotherapy of the RGD-Bi2 S3 @MSN/DOX significantly ablates the highly malignant OS. It is further proved that the superior combined killing effect is achieved by activating the mitochondrial apoptosis pathway. Hence, the smart RGD-Bi2 S3 @MSN/DOX theranostic platform is a promising candidate for future applications in CT monitoring and synergistic treatment of malignant tumors.

Zero-Dimensional Carbon Dots Enhance Bone Regeneration, Osteosarcoma Ablation, and Clinical Bacterial Eradication

Zero-dimensional carbon dots (CD) and their effects on osteogenesis have been rarely studied in bone repair scaffolds. Here, we fabricate a novel CD doped chitosan/nanohydroxyapatite (CS/nHA/CD) scaffold with full potential to promote bone regeneration by a facile freeze-drying method. The CS/nHA/CD scaffolds enhanced cell adhesion and osteoinductivity in rat bone mesenchymal stem cells by up-regulating genes involved in focal adhesion and osteogenesis in vitro, which significantly improved the formation of vascularized new bone tissue at 4 weeks compared to pure CS/nHA scaffolds in vivo. Inspired by the excellent photothermal effect of CD, the scaffolds were applied in tumor photothermal therapy (PTT) under near-infrared (NIR) irradiation (808 nm, 1 W/cm2). The scaffolds significantly inhibited osteosarcoma cell proliferation in vitro and effectively suppressed tumor growth in vivo. Moreover, the CS/nHA/CD scaffolds possessed distinct antibacterial properties toward clinically collected S. aureus and E. coli, and their antibacterial activity was further enhanced under NIR irradiation. This work demonstrates that zero-dimensional CD can enhance the osteogenesis-inducing property of bone repair scaffolds and that CD doped scaffolds have potential for use in PTT for tumors and infections.

Porous cobalt sulfide hollow nanospheres with tunable optical property for magnetic resonance imaging-guided photothermal therapy

Transition-metal chalcogenides with an imaging element and tunable optical property are strongly desired as ideal high-efficiency photothermal theranostic agents to diagnose and eliminate tumors. Herein, we report on a one-pot solvothermal strategy to synthesize various porous cobalt sulfide hollow nanospheres (PCSH NSs) and elucidate the relation between PCSH NSs and their optical absorption as a guide to obtain optimal photothermal therapy (PTT) agents. After PEG modification, PEG-PCSH NSs show superexcellent photothermal conversion efficiency (∼70.1%) which is higher than that of binary transition-metal chalcogenides materials reported to date. A low dose (100 μL, 25 ppm) could completely ablate tumors under an 808 nm laser power of 0.7 W cm-2, reducing in vivo long-term residual agent content and thus lowering the possibility of side effects. Additionally, they also exhibit excellent biocompatibility, good photostability and utility for magnetic resonance imaging. Our results indicate that PCSH NSs can be considered as an outstanding PTT agent and give guidance towards the design of other photothermal theranostic agents.

A New Treatment Modality for Rheumatoid Arthritis: Combined Photothermal and Photodynamic Therapy Using Cu7.2 S4 Nanoparticles

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a worldwide inflammatory disease that seriously threatens human health and needs more effective treatment approaches. Near infrared (NIR) light can efficiently penetrate inflamed joints affected by RA, so phototherapy, including photothermal therapy (PTT) and photodynamic therapy (PDT), may provide new opportunities. In this work, the unique Cu_7.2 S₄ nanoparticles (NPs) are prepared for RA treatment enlightened by the fact that copper (Cu)-based nanomaterials can simultaneously serve as PTT agents and photosensitizers (for PDT). Meanwhile, Cu can promote ostogenesis and chondrogenesis. The Cu_7.2 S₄ NPs combined with NIR (808 nm, 1 W cm^-2 ) irradiation not only achieve better bone preservation, including higher bone mineral density (BMD) and bone volume/total volume, but also inhibit inflamed synovial invasion, cartilage erosion, and expression of proinflammatory cytokines in vivo. Moreover, the Cu_7.2 S₄ NPs can effectively kill clinical pathogenic Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli to prevent bacterial infection during intra-articular injection. Therefore, the combined PTT and PDT using the multifunctional Cu_7.2 S₄ NPs could be a novel RA treatment modality with full potential.

Simple construction of Cu2-xS:Pt nanoparticles as nanotheranostic agent for imaging-guided chemo-photothermal synergistic therapy of cancer

Synergistic therapy has attracted intense attention in medical treatment because it can make up for the disadvantages of single therapy and greatly improve the efficacy of cancer treatment. However, it remains a challenge to build a simple system to achieve synergistic therapy. In this study, X-ray computed tomography (CT) imaging-guided chemo-photothermal synergistic therapy can be easily achieved by simple construction of Cu2-xS:Pt(0.3)/PVP nanoparticles (NPs). Cu2-xS:Pt(0.3)/PVP NPs can passively accumulate within the tumor sites, thus ensuring that many Cu2-xS:Pt(0.3)/PVP NPs are brought into the tumor cells, which can be confirmed by the results of cellular uptake, imaging, and nanoparticle biodistribution. It can be verified that the platinum ions can be released from Cu2-xS:Pt(0.3)/PVP NPs under 808 nm laser irradiation. Simultaneously, Pt(iv) ions are reduced to Pt(ii) ions by excess glutathione and then, they exhibit chemo-anticancer activities. In addition, Cu2-xS:Pt(0.3)/PVP NPs can be used as an effective photothermal agent. The results demonstrate that the efficient tumor growth inhibition effect can be realized from the mice treated with Cu2-xS:Pt(0.3)/PVP NPs under 808 nm laser irradiation by chemo-photothermal synergistic therapy. Furthermore, Cu2-xS:Pt(0.3)/PVP NPs can be thoroughly cleared through feces in a short time, showing high biosafety for further potential clinical translations.