Redox/photo dual-responsive, self-targeted, and photosensitizer-laden bismuth sulfide nanourchins for combination therapy in cancer

pH-responsive size-adjustable liposomes induce apoptosis of fibroblasts and macrophages for rheumatoid arthritis treatment

In rheumatoid arthritis (RA), macrophages infiltrate joints, while fibroblast-like synovial cells proliferate abnormally, forming a barrier against drug delivery, which hinders effective drug delivery to joint focus. Here we firstly designed a pH-responsive size-adjustable nanoparticle, composed by methotrexate (MTX)-human serum albumin (HSA) complex coating with pH-responsive liposome (Lipo/MTX-HSA) for delivering drugs specifically to inflamed joints in acidic environments. We showed in vitro that the nanoparticles can induce mitochondrial dysfunction, promote apoptosis of fibroblast-like synoviocytes and macrophages, further reduce the secretion of inflammatory factors (TNF-α, IL-1β, MMP-9), and regulate the inflammatory microenvironment. We also demonstrated similar effects in a rat model of arthritis, in which Lipo/MTX-HSA accumulated in arthritic joints, and at low pH, liposome phospholipid bilayer cleavage released small-sized MTX-HSA, which effectively reduced the number of fibroblast-synoviocytes and macrophages in joints, alleviated joint inflammation, and repaired bone erosion. These findings suggest that microenvironment-responsive size-adjustable nanoparticles show promise as a treatment against rheumatoid arthritis. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: Abnormal proliferation of fibroblast synoviocytes poses a physical barrier to effective nanoparticle delivery. We designed size-adjustable nano-delivery systems by preparing liposomes with cholesterol hemisuccinate (CHEM), which were subsequently loaded with small-sized albumin nanoparticles encapsulating the cytotoxic drug MTX (MTX-HSA), termed Lipo/MTX-HSA. Upon tail vein injection, Lipo/MTX-HSA could be aggregated at the site of inflammation via the ELVIS effect in the inflamed joint microenvironment. Specifically, intracellular acidic pH-triggered dissociation of liposomes promoted the release of MTX-HSA, which was further targeted to fibroblasts or across fibroblasts to macrophages to exert anti-inflammatory effects. The results showed that liposomes with adjustable particle size achieved efficient drug delivery, penetration and retention in joint sites; the strategy exerted significant anti-inflammatory effects in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis by inducing mitochondrial dysfunction to promote apoptosis in fibrosynoviocytes and macrophages.

Current advances in nanoformulations of therapeutic agents targeting tumor microenvironment to overcome drug resistance

The tumor microenvironment (TME) plays a pivotal role in cancer development and progression. In this line, revealing the precise mechanisms of the TME and associated signaling pathways of tumor resistance could pave the road for cancer prevention and efficient treatment. The use of nanomedicine could be a step forward in overcoming the barriers in tumor-targeted therapy. Novel delivery systems benefit from enhanced permeability and retention effect, decreasing tumor resistance, reducing tumor hypoxia, and targeting tumor-associated factors, including immune cells, endothelial cells, and fibroblasts. Emerging evidence also indicates the engagement of multiple dysregulated mediators in the TME, such as matrix metalloproteinase, vascular endothelial growth factor, cytokines/chemokines, Wnt/β-catenin, Notch, Hedgehog, and related inflammatory and apoptotic pathways. Hence, investigating novel multitargeted agents using a novel delivery system could be a promising strategy for regulating TME and drug resistance. In recent years, small molecules from natural sources have shown favorable anticancer responses by targeting TME components. Nanoformulations of natural compounds are promising therapeutic agents in simultaneously targeting multiple dysregulated factors and mediators of TME, reducing tumor resistance mechanisms, overcoming interstitial fluid pressure and pericyte coverage, and involvement of basement membrane. The novel nanoformulations employ a vascular normalization strategy, stromal/matrix normalization, and stress alleviation mechanisms to exert higher efficacy and lower side effects. Accordingly, the nanoformulations of anticancer monoclonal antibodies and conventional chemotherapeutic agents also improved their efficacy and lessened the pharmacokinetic limitations. Additionally, the coadministration of nanoformulations of natural compounds along with conventional chemotherapeutic agents, monoclonal antibodies, and nanomedicine-based radiotherapy exhibits encouraging results. This critical review evaluates the current body of knowledge in targeting TME components by nanoformulation-based delivery systems of natural small molecules, monoclonal antibodies, conventional chemotherapeutic agents, and combination therapies in both preclinical and clinical settings. Current challenges, pitfalls, limitations, and future perspectives are also discussed.

Approved Nanomedicine against Diseases

Nanomedicine is a branch of medicine using nanotechnology to prevent and treat diseases. Nanotechnology represents one of the most effective approaches in elevating a drug's treatment efficacy and reducing toxicity by improving drug solubility, altering biodistribution, and controlling the release. The development of nanotechnology and materials has brought a profound revolution to medicine, significantly affecting the treatment of various major diseases such as cancer, injection, and cardiovascular diseases. Nanomedicine has experienced explosive growth in the past few years. Although the clinical transition of nanomedicine is not very satisfactory, traditional drugs still occupy a dominant position in formulation development, but increasingly active drugs have adopted nanoscale forms to limit side effects and improve efficacy. The review summarized the approved nanomedicine, its indications, and the properties of commonly used nanocarriers and nanotechnology.

Injectable Nanomedicine-Hydrogel for NIR Light Photothermal-Chemo Combination Therapy of Tumor

Traditional hydrogels have drawbacks such as surgical implantation, large wound surfaces, and uncontrollable drug release during tumor treatment. In this paper, targeted nanomedicine has been combined with injectable hydrogel for photothermal-chemotherapy combination therapy. First, targeted nanomedicine (ICG-MTX) was fabricated by combining near-infrared (NIR) photothermal reagents (ICG) and chemotherapy drugs (MTX). The ICG-MTX was then mixed with the hydrogel precursor and radical initiator to obtain an injectable hydrogel precursor solution. Under the irradiation of NIR light, the precursor solution could release alkyl radicals, which promote the transition of the precursor solution from a liquid to a colloidal state. As a result, the nanomedicine could effectively remain at the site of the tumor and continue to be released from the hydrogel. Due to the targeted nature of MTX, the released ICG-MTX could target tumor cells and improve the accuracy of photothermal-chemo combination therapy. The results indicated that the injectable nanomedicine-hydrogel system has a favorable therapeutic effect on tumors.

Enhancing the therapeutic efficacy of nanoparticles for cancer treatment using versatile targeted strategies

Poor targeting of therapeutics leading to severe adverse effects on normal tissues is considered one of the obstacles in cancer therapy. To help overcome this, nanoscale drug delivery systems have provided an alternative avenue for improving the therapeutic potential of various agents and bioactive molecules through the enhanced permeability and retention (EPR) effect. Nanosystems with cancer-targeted ligands can achieve effective delivery to the tumor cells utilizing cell surface-specific receptors, the tumor vasculature and antigens with high accuracy and affinity. Additionally, stimuli-responsive nanoplatforms have also been considered as a promising and effective targeting strategy against tumors, as these nanoplatforms maintain their stealth feature under normal conditions, but upon homing in on cancerous lesions or their microenvironment, are responsive and release their cargoes. In this review, we comprehensively summarize the field of active targeting drug delivery systems and a number of stimuli-responsive release studies in the context of emerging nanoplatform development, and also discuss how this knowledge can contribute to further improvements in clinical practice.

Chitosan-Hyaluronic Acid Nanoparticles for Active Targeting in Cancer Therapy

Cancer is the most common cause of death worldwide; therefore, there is a need to discover novel treatment modalities to combat it. One of the cancer treatments is nanoparticle technology. Currently, nanoparticles have been modified to have desirable pharmacological effects by using chemical ligands that bind with their specific receptors on the surface of malignant cells. Chemical grafting of chitosan nanoparticles with hyaluronic acid as a targeted ligand can become an attractive alternative for active targeting. Hence, these nanoparticles can control drug release with pH- responsive stimuli, and high selectivity of hyaluronic acid to CD44 receptors makes these nanoparticles accumulate more inside cells that overexpress these receptors (cancer cells). In this context, we discuss the benefits and recent findings of developing and utilizing chitosan–hyaluronic acid nanoparticles against distinct forms of cancer malignancy. From here we know that chitosan–hyaluronic acid nanoparticles (CHA-Np) can produce a nanoparticle system with good characteristics, effectiveness, and a good active targeting on various types of cancer cells. Therefore, this system is a good candidate for targeted drug delivery for cancer therapy, anticipating that CHA-Np could be further developed for various cancer therapy applications.

Ultrasmall AgBiSe2 nanodots for CT/thermal imaging-guided photothermal tumor therapy in the NIR-II biowindow

Stimulus-responsive ternary chalcogenide nanomaterials are regarded as promising 'all-in-one' nanotheranostics agents on account of their tunable band structures and multi-metal intrinsic properties. Herein, ultrasmall AgBiSe₂ nanodots are prepared by a simple thermal injection method. It shows a narrow band gap of 0.91 eV and high absorption coefficient in the NIR-II biowindow, resulting in excellent photothermal performance. Under the irradiation of a 1064 nm laser, AgBiSe₂ can induce the overexpression of intracellular heat shock protein (Hsp70) and cell apoptosis to inhibit the growth of tumor cells. The strong signal from CT/thermal imaging also provides guidance for tumor diagnosis. Importantly, AgBiSe₂ can be rapidly excreted from the body, thus avoiding long term toxicity. This study presents the first biomedical application of AgBiSe₂ nanodots in cancer treatment and extends the development of ternary chalcogenide-based semiconductor nanomedicine.

Smart nanomaterials for cancer diagnosis and treatment

Innovations in nanomedicine has guided the improved outcomes for cancer diagnosis and therapy. However, frequent use of nanomaterials remains challenging due to specific limitations like non-targeted distribution causing low signal-to-noise ratio for diagnostics, complex fabrication, reduced-biocompatibility, decreased photostability, and systemic toxicity of nanomaterials within the body. Thus, better nanomaterial-systems with controlled physicochemical and biological properties, form the need of the hour. In this context, smart nanomaterials serve as promising solution, as they can be activated under specific exogenous or endogenous stimuli such as pH, temperature, enzymes, or a particular biological molecule. The properties of smart nanomaterials make them ideal candidates for various applications like biosensors, controlled drug release, and treatment of various diseases. Recently, smart nanomaterial-based cancer theranostic approaches have been developed, and they are displaying better selectivity and sensitivity with reduced side-effects in comparison to conventional methods. In cancer therapy, the smart nanomaterials-system only activates in response to tumor microenvironment (TME) and remains in deactivated state in normal cells, which further reduces the side-effects and systemic toxicities. Thus, the present review aims to describe the stimulus-based classification of smart nanomaterials, tumor microenvironment-responsive behaviour, and their up-to-date applications in cancer theranostics. Besides, present review addresses the development of various smart nanomaterials and their advantages for diagnosing and treating cancer. Here, we also discuss about the drug targeting and sustained drug release from nanocarriers, and different types of nanomaterials which have been engineered for this intent. Additionally, the present challenges and prospects of nanomaterials in effective cancer diagnosis and therapeutics have been discussed.

Multifunctional Gold Nanoparticles in Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment

Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the world, behind only cardiovascular diseases, and is one of the most serious diseases threatening human health nowadays. Cancer patients’ lives are being extended by the use of contemporary medical technologies, such as surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy. However, these treatments are not always effective in extending cancer patients’ lives. Simultaneously, these approaches are often accompanied with a series of negative consequences, such as the occurrence of adverse effects and an increased risk of relapse. As a result, the development of a novel cancer-eradication strategy is still required. The emergence of nanomedicine as a promising technology brings a new avenue for the circumvention of limitations of conventional cancer therapies. Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs), in particular, have garnered extensive attention due to their many specific advantages, including customizable size and shape, multiple and useful physicochemical properties, and ease of functionalization. Based on these characteristics, many therapeutic and diagnostic applications of AuNPs have been exploited, particularly for malignant tumors, such as drug and nucleic acid delivery, photodynamic therapy, photothermal therapy, and X-ray-based computed tomography imaging. To leverage the potential of AuNPs, these applications demand a comprehensive and in-depth overview. As a result, we discussed current achievements in AuNPs in anticancer applications in a more methodical manner in this review. Also addressed in depth are the present status of clinical trials, as well as the difficulties that may be encountered when translating some basic findings into the clinic, in order to serve as a reference for future studies.

Virus-Inspired Hollow Mesoporous Gadolinium-Bismuth Nanotheranostics for Magnetic Resonance Imaging-Guided Synergistic Photodynamic-Radiotherapy

The anti-tumor efficacy of single photodynamic therapy (PDT) and radiotherapy (RT) has been greatly affected by inadequate tumor uptake of photo/radiation sensitizers, limited laser penetration depth, and radiation sickness caused by high doses of X-rays. Here, the authors report a biomimetic coronavirus-inspired hollow mesoporous gadolinium/bismuth nanocarrier loaded with a new NIR photosensitizer HB (termed as HB@VHMBi-Gd) for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-guided synergistic photodynamic-RT. HB@VHMBi-Gd displayed a faster cellular uptake rate than the conventional spherical HMBi-Gd loaded with HB (HB@SHMBi-Gd) because of rough surface-enhanced adhesion. After intravenous injection, HB@VHMBi-Gd is efficiently delivered to the tumor and rapidly invades the tumor cells by surface spikes. Interestingly, lysosomal acidity can trigger the degradation of VHMBi-Gd to produce ultrasmall nanoparticles to amplify the X-ray attenuation ability and enhance MRI contrast and radiosensitization. Under laser and X-ray irradiation, HB@VHMBi-Gd significantly enhances ¹ O₂ generation from HB to induce activation of caspase 9/3 and inhibition of C-myc, while enhancing hydroxyl radical generation from Bi₂ O₃ to induce intense DNA breakage. By synergistically inducing cell apoptosis by distinct reactive oxygen species (ROS), HB@VHMBi-Gd exhibits superior anticancer efficacy with ≈90% tumor inhibition. They envision that biomimetic virus-inspired hollow hybrid metal nanoparticles can provide a promising strategy for imaging-guided synergistic photodynamic-RT.

Photothermal nanozyme-ignited Fenton reaction-independent ferroptosis for breast cancer therapy

Ferroptosis is a type of programmed cell death caused by the iron-dependent lipid hydroperoxide pathway and has attracted significant interest. However, Fenton reaction-dependent ferroptosis has shown unsatisfactory therapeutic effects in tumor therapy, mainly due to inadequate reaction conditions in the tumor microenvironment. Here, we report a new strategy for Fenton-independent pathway by employing photothermal nanozyme to overcome limitations of the low efficiency of Fenton reaction. Specifically, we used iron redox pair (Fe²⁺/Fe³⁺)-containing hollow mesoporous Prussian blue (HMPB) nanocubes as the iron sources to fabricate iron-loaded liposome (HMPB@Lip). HMPB@Lip not only exerts the photothermal therapy, but also functions as nanozyme catalyzing lipid peroxidation for ferroptosis therapy. Importantly, Fenton reaction-independent ferroptosis triggered by photothermal nanozyme achieved effective tumor ablation. Therefore, HMPB@Lip can be used as a potential multifunctional nanozyme for effective Fenton reaction-independent ferroptosis therapy.

Intelligent and spatiotemporal drug release based on multifunctional nanoparticle-integrated dissolving microneedle system for synergetic chemo-photothermal therapy to eradicate melanoma

Cutaneous melanoma is one of the most common malignant skin cancer with high lethality. Chemotherapy and photothermal therapy are important and extensively studied treatment modalities for melanoma. However, these therapies still face some challenges, which severely restrict their further applications, such as unsatisfactory efficacy of monotherapy, nonspecific uptake and release during drug delivery, and unexpected adverse effects from system administration. Recently, the strategies of collaboration, functional modification, stimuli-responsive design, and topical administration all show great prospect for solving above problems. In this research, a multifunctional nanoparticle-integrated dissolving microneedle drug delivery system was constructed, in which the nanoparticles were prepared based on the framework with the incorporation of photothermal agent (CuS) into Zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 and functionalized by hyaluronic acid. This system can co-load multi-modal drugs, improve specific uptake and distribution of targeted tumor, deliver drug locally, and release drug intelligently and spatiotemporally, thereby promising a low-dose administration with high efficiency. The high inhibiting tumor performance and excellent systematic safety were verified both in vitro and in vivo. Together, this smart design overcame the drawbacks of monotherapy and conventional system administration. We believe the nanoparticle-integrated dissolving microneedles will be in prospect of clinical application for more superficial tumors with further delicate optimization. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: Melanoma is one of the most common skin cancers with high lethality. Extensively studied chemotherapy and photothermal therapy still face some challenges, such as the limited therapeutic efficacy and the severe system adverse effects. In order to overcome these drawbacks, the multifunctional nanoparticle-integrated dissolving microneedles (DMNs) were designed. Especially, the nanoparticles could co-load multi-modal drugs, improve specific uptake, and release drug intelligently and spatiotemporally. The microneedles could increase the drug accumulation in tumor, thus achieving excellent therapeutic efficacy and reducing side effects. This system paved the way to a less invasive, more focused and efficient therapeutic strategy for melanoma therapy.

Modular design principle based on compartmental drug delivery systems

The current manufacturing solutions for oral solid dosage forms are fundamentally based on technologies from the 19th century. This approach is well suited for mass production of one-size-fits-all products; however, it does not allow for a straight-forward personalization and mass customization of the pharmaceutical end-product. In order to provide better therapies to the patients, a need for innovative manufacturing concepts and product design principles has been rising. Additive manufacturing opens up a possibility for compartmentalization of drug products, including design of spatially separated multidrug and functional excipient compartments. This compartmentalized solution can be further expanded to modular design thinking. Modular design is referring to combination of building blocks containing a given amount of drug compound(s) and related functional excipients into a larger final product. Implementation of modular design principles is paving the way for implementing the emerging personalization potential within health sciences by designing compartmental and reactive product structures that can be manufactured based on the individual needs of each patient. This review will introduce the existing compartmentalized product design principles and discuss the integration of these into edible electronics allowing for innovative control of drug release.

Hyaluronic Acid Coated Liposomes Co-Delivery of Natural Cyclic Peptide RA-XII and Mitochondrial Targeted Photosensitizer for Highly Selective Precise Combined Treatment of Colon Cancer

Background

Natural cyclopeptide RA-XII, isolated from Rubia yunnanensis, is a promising chemotherapeutic agent for colon cancer. The photosensitizer protoporphyrin-IX attached with triphenylphosphonium (TPP) could possess mitochondria targeting capacity and exert photodynamic therapy (PDT) by inducing oxidizing damage to the mitochondria and cell apoptosis eventually. In this work, pH-sensitive liposomes were constructed to simultaneously deliver RA-XII as a chemotherapeutic drug and modified porphyrin as a mitochondria-targeting photosensitizer to treat colon cancer, and verified its mechanism of action and antitumor therapeutic efficacy.

Methods

The colon cancer targeting liposome nanoparticle RA/TPPP-Lip was synthesized using thin film hydration. The therapeutic effect and targeting ability of RA/TPPP-Lip was investigated in vitro. And use HCT116 cell allogeneic subcutaneous transplantation tumor model to investigate the anti-tumor and targeting effects of RA/TPPP-Lip in vivo.

Results

RA/TPPP-Lip gained the targeting ability through surface-modified HA to increase the accumulation of RA-XII and TPPP in colon cancer cells. A series of in vitro experimental results showed that TPPP produced cytotoxic ROS under laser irradiation to directly damage cell mitochondria and played a combined role with RA-XII, making RA/TPPP-Lip the best colon cancer cell growth inhibitory effect. Furthermore, in vivo antitumor experiments showed that the RA/TPPP-Lip substantially accumulated at the tumor site and efficiently repressed tumor growth in nude mice.

Conclusion

We have successfully designed a new cancer-targeted nanomedicine platform (RA/TPPP-Lip) for the collaborative treatment of colon cancer, which can achieve the targeted continuous release of multiple therapeutic drugs. This work provides a new strategy for precise combination therapy, which may promote the further development of collaborative cancer treatment platforms.

Photodynamic Therapy-Current Limitations and Novel Approaches

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) mostly relies on the generation of singlet oxygen, via the excitation of a photosensitizer, so that target tumor cells can be destroyed. PDT can be applied in the settings of several malignant diseases. In fact, the earliest preclinical applications date back to 1900’s. Dougherty reported the treatment of skin tumors by PDT in 1978. Several further studies around 1980 demonstrated the effectiveness of PDT. Thus, the technique has attracted the attention of numerous researchers since then. Hematoporphyrin derivative received the FDA approval as a clinical application of PDT in 1995. We have indeed witnessed a considerable progress in the field over the last century. Given the fact that PDT has a favorable adverse event profile and can enhance anti-tumor immune responses as well as demonstrating minimally invasive characteristics, it is disappointing that PDT is not broadly utilized in the clinical setting for the treatment of malignant and/or non-malignant diseases. Several issues still hinder the development of PDT, such as those related with light, tissue oxygenation and inherent properties of the photosensitizers. Various photosensitizers have been designed/synthesized in order to overcome the limitations. In this Review, we provide a general overview of the mechanisms of action in terms of PDT in cancer, including the effects on immune system and vasculature as well as mechanisms related with tumor cell destruction. We will also briefly mention the application of PDT for non-malignant diseases. The current limitations of PDT utilization in cancer will be reviewed, since identifying problems associated with design/synthesis of photosensitizers as well as application of light and tissue oxygenation might pave the way for more effective PDT approaches. Furthermore, novel promising approaches to improve outcome in PDT such as selectivity, bioengineering, subcellular/organelle targeting, etc. will also be discussed in detail, since the potential of pioneering and exceptional approaches that aim to overcome the limitations and reveal the full potential of PDT in terms of clinical translation are undoubtedly exciting. A better understanding of novel concepts in the field (e.g. enhanced, two-stage, fractional PDT) will most likely prove to be very useful for pursuing and improving effective PDT strategies.

Hypoxia-Mediated ROS Amplification Triggers Mitochondria-Mediated Apoptotic Cell Death via PD-L1/ROS-Responsive, Dual-Targeted, Drug-Laden Thioketal Nanoparticles

Amalgamation of the reactive oxygen species (ROS)-responsive stimulus with nanoparticles has gained considerable interest owing to their high tumor specificity. Hypoxia plays a pivotal role in the acceleration of intracellular ROS production. Herein, we report the construction of a cancer cell (PD-L1)- and ROS-responsive, dual-targeted, temozolomide (TMZ)-laden nanosystem which offers a better anticancer effect in a hypoxic tumor microenvironment. A dual-targeted system boosted permeation in the cancer cells. Hypoxic conditions elevating the high ROS level accelerated the in situ release of TMZ from anti-PD-L1-TKNPs. Hyperaccumulated ROS engendered from TMZ caused oxidative damage leading to mitochondria-mediated apoptosis. TMZ fabricated in the multifunctional nanosystem (anti-PD-L1-TMZ-TKNPs) provided excellent tumor accumulation and retarded tumor growth under in vivo conditions. The elevated apoptosis effect with the activation of an apoptotic marker, DNA double-strand breakage marker, and downregulation of the angiogenesis marker in the tumor tissue following treatment with anti-PD-L1-TMZ-TKNPs exerts robust anticancer effect. Collectively, the nanoconstruct offers deep tumor permeation and high drug release and broadens the application of the ROS-responsive nanosystem for a successful anticancer effect.

Dual Modal Imaging-Guided Drug Delivery System for Combined Chemo-Photothermal Melanoma Therapy

PURPOSE

Malignant melanoma is one of the most devastating types of cancer with rapid relapse and low survival rate. Novel strategies for melanoma treatment are currently needed to enhance therapeutic efficiency for this disease. In this study, we fabricated a multifunctional drug delivery system that incorporates dacarbazine (DTIC) and indocyanine green (ICG) into manganese-doped mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSN(Mn)) coupled with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and photothermal imaging (PI), for achieving the superior antitumor effect of combined chemo-photothermal therapy.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

MSN(Mn) were characterized in terms of size and structural properties, and drug loading and release efficiency MSN(Mn)-ICG/DTIC were analyzed by UV spectra. Photothermal imaging effect and MR imaging effect of MSN(Mn)-ICG/DTIC were detected by thermal imaging system and 3.0 T MRI scanner, respectively. Then, the combined chemo-phototherapy was verified in vitro and in vivo by morphological evaluation, ultrasonic and pathological evaluation.

RESULTS

The as-synthesized MSN(Mn) were characterized as mesoporous spherical nanoparticles with 125.57±5.96 nm. MSN(Mn)-ICG/DTIC have the function of drug loading-release which loading ratio of ICG and DTIC could reach to 34.25±2.20% and 50.00±3.24%, and 32.68±2.10% of DTIC was released, respectively. Manganese doping content could reach up to 65.09±2.55 wt%, providing excellent imaging capability in vivo which the corresponding relaxation efficiency was 14.33 mM-1s-1. And outstanding photothermal heating ability and stability highlighted the potential biomedical applicability of MSN(Mn)-ICG/DTIC to kill cancer cells. Experiments by A375 melanoma cells and tumor-bearing mice demonstrated that the compound MSN(Mn)-ICG/DTIC have excellent biocompatibility and our combined therapy platform delivered a superior antitumor effect compared to standalone treatment in vivo and in vitro.

CONCLUSION

Our findings demonstrate that composite MSN(Mn)-ICG/DTIC could serve as a multifunctional platform to achieve a highly effective chemo-photothermal combined therapy for melanoma treatment.