pH-sensitive and bubble-generating mesoporous silica-based nanoparticles for enhanced tumor combination therapy

Receptor-mediated membrane fusion drug delivery system based on chitosan derivatives to enhance tumor chemotherapy

Tumor chemotherapy drug delivery systems often face significant challenges, including low targeting specificity and lysosomal sequestration, both of which can severely impair therapeutic efficacy. To overcome these limitations, we have developed a novel receptor-mediated membrane fusion (RMF) drug delivery system based on chitosan derivatives. This system can self-assemble into nanoparticles (NPs) and encapsulate doxorubicin (DOX). The physical properties of both unloaded and DOX-loaded NPs were systematically characterized. In vitro experiments demonstrated that the RMF system selectively interacts with tumor cell surfaces, inhibiting cell proliferation and migration. Additionally, the system effectively targets tumor cells, delivers the drug directly into the cytoplasm, thereby bypassing lysosomal sequestration, thus improving targeting efficiency and enhancing drug delivery. In vivo studies further confirmed the superior anticancer efficacy of the RMF system, alongside its excellent systemic safety. In conclusion, this RMF-based strategy offers a promising platform for the precise delivery of chemotherapeutics, addressing the critical limitations of conventional drug delivery systems and significantly enhancing therapeutic outcomes.

Functional anti-inflammatory mesoporous silica nanoplatform for Synergistic and Targeted abdominal aortic aneurysm treatment

Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is a chronic inflammation-driven disease characterized by aortic wall destruction and expansion, leading to high morbidity and mortality. However, previous drug treatments for its common risk factors have not achieved favorable results, and the early prevention and treatment is still the main clinical dilemma. Anti-inflammation therapy is a promising therapeutical method targeting its pathogenesis mechanism, but it has not been explored in depth. Herein, interleukin-1 receptor antagonist-loaded manganese-doped mesoporous silica nanoparticles (IL-1Ra@MMSN) were designed and synthesized to target macrophage-mediated chronic aortic inflammation for AAA treatment. IL-1Ra@MMSN showed high IL-1Ra-loading efficiency, great stability and pH-responsive drug-releasing property. IL-1Ra@MMSN specially phagocytosed by macrophages can protect against oxidative stress injury and promoted the M2 polarization via transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) signaling in vitro. Furthermore, IL-1Ra@MMSN exhibited good lesion targeting ability, hemocompatibility and biocompatibility in angiotensin II-induced murine AAA model. In vivo experiments also confirmed the excellent treatment efficacy in reducing AAA formation and progression via protecting aortic wall integrity and promoting anti-inflammatory microenvironment. Taken together, the current study demonstrated that IL-1Ra@MMSN is a promising nanoplatform for early intervention of AAA, which provides a novel treatment strategy based on anti-inflammatory immune regulation.

Harnessing nanotechnology for cancer treatment

Nanotechnology has become a groundbreaking innovation force in cancer therapy, offering innovative solutions to the limitations of conventional treatments such as chemotherapy and radiation. By manipulating materials at the nanoscale, researchers have developed nanocarriers capable of targeted drug delivery, improving therapeutic efficacy while reducing systemic toxicity. Nanoparticles like liposomes, dendrimers, and polymeric nanomaterials have shown significant promise in delivering chemotherapeutic agents directly to tumor sites, enhancing drug bioavailability and minimizing damage to healthy tissues. In addition to drug delivery, with the utilization of tools such as quantum dots and nanosensors that enables more precise identification of cancer biomarkers, nanotechnology is also playing a pivotal role in early cancer detection and diagnosis. Furthermore, nanotechnology-based therapeutic strategies, including photothermal therapy, gene therapy and immunotherapy are offering novel ways to combat cancer by selectively targeting tumor cells and enhancing the immune response. Nevertheless, despite these progressions, obstacles still persist, particularly in the clinical translation of these technologies. Issues such as nanoparticle toxicity, biocompatibility, and the complexity of regulatory approval hinder the widespread adoption of nanomedicine in oncology. This review discusses different applications of nanotechnology in cancer therapy, highlighting its potential and the hurdles to its clinical implementation. Future research needs to concentrate on addressing these obstacles to unlock the full potential of nanotechnology in providing personalized, effective, and minimally invasive cancer treatments.

Enhancing antitumor immunity with stimulus-responsive mesoporous silicon in combination with chemotherapy and photothermal therapy

Due to the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME) and potential systemic toxicity, chemotherapy often fails to elicit satisfactory anti-tumor responses, so how to activate anti-tumor immunity to improve the therapeutic efficacy remains a challenging problem. Photothermal therapy (PTT) serves as a promising approach to activate anti-tumor immunity by inducing the release of tumor neoantigens in situ. In this study, we designed tetrasulfide bonded mesoporous silicon nanoparticles (MSNs) loaded with the traditional drug doxorubicin (DOX) inside and modified their outer layer with polydopamine (DOX/MSN-4S@PDA) for comprehensive anti-tumor studies in vivo and in vitro. The MSN core contains GSH-sensitive tetrasulfide bonds that enhance DOX release while generating hydrogen sulfide (H2S) to improve the therapeutic efficacy of DOX. The polydopamine (PDA) coating confers acid sensitivity and mild photothermal properties upon exposure to near-infrared (NIR) light, while the addition of hyaluronic acid (HA) to the outermost layer enables targeted delivery to CD44-expressing tumor cells, thereby enhancing drug accumulation at the tumor site and reducing toxic side effects. Our studies demonstrate that DOX/MSN@PDA-HA can reverse the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment in vivo, inducing potent immunogenic cell death (ICD) of tumor cells and improving anti-tumor efficacy. In addition, DOX/MSN@PDA-HA significantly suppresses tumor metastasis to the lung and liver. In summary, DOX/MSN@PDA-HA exhibits controlled drug release, excellent biocompatibility, and remarkable tumor inhibition capabilities through synergistic chemical/photothermal combined therapy.

Self-driven bioactive hybrids co-deliver doxorubicin and indocyanine green nanoparticles for chemo/photothermal therapy of breast cancer

Breast cancer is characterized by insidious onset, rapid progression, easy recurrence, and metastasis. Conventional monotherapies are usually ineffective due to insufficient drug delivery. Therefore, the combination of multimodal therapy with tumor microenvironment (TME)-responsive nanoplatforms is increasingly being considered for the targeted treatment of breast cancer. We synthesized bioactive hybrid nanoparticles for synergistic chemotherapy and photothermal therapy. Briefly, doxorubicin (DOX) and indocyanine green (ICG)-loaded nanoparticles (DI) of average particle size 113.58 ± 2.14 nm were synthesized, and their surface were modified with polydopamine (PDA) and attached to the anaerobic probiotic Bifidobacterium infantis (Bif). The bioactive Bif@DIP hybrid showed good photothermal conversion efficiency of about 38.04%. In addition, the self-driving ability of Bif allowed targeted delivery of the PDA-coated DI nanoparticles (DIP) to the hypoxic regions of the tumor. The low pH and high GSH levels in the TME stimulated the controlled release of DOX and ICG from the Bif@DIP hybrid, which then triggered apoptosis of tumor cells and induced immunogenic cell death (ICD), resulting in effective and sustained anti-tumor effect with minimum systemic toxicity. Thus, the self-driven Bif@DIP hybrid is a promising nanodrug for the targeted chemotherapy and photothermal therapy against solid cancers.

Targeting anticancer immunity in oral cancer: Drugs, products, and nanoparticles

Oral cavity carcinomas are the most frequent malignancies among head and neck malignancies. Oral tumors include not only oral cancer cells with different potency and stemness but also consist of diverse cells, containing anticancer immune cells, stromal and also immunosuppressive cells that influence the immune system reactions. The infiltrated T and natural killer (NK) cells are the substantial tumor-suppressive immune compartments in the tumor. The infiltration of these cells has substantial impacts on the response of tumors to immunotherapy, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy. Nevertheless, cancer cells, stromal cells, and some other compartments like regulatory T cells (Tregs), macrophages, and myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) can repress the immune responses against malignant cells. Boosting anticancer immunity by inducing the immune system or repressing the tumor-promoting cells is one of the intriguing approaches for the eradication of malignant cells such as oral cancers. This review aims to concentrate on the secretions and interactions in the oral tumor immune microenvironment. We review targeting tumor stroma, immune system and immunosuppressive interactions in oral tumors. This review will also focus on therapeutic targets and therapeutic agents such as nanoparticles and products with anti-tumor potency that can boost anticancer immunity in oral tumors. We also explain possible future perspectives including delivery of various cells, natural products and drugs by nanoparticles for boosting anticancer immunity in oral tumors.

Nano-modulators with the function of disrupting mitochondrial Ca2+ homeostasis and photothermal conversion for synergistic breast cancer therapy

Breast cancer treatment has been a global puzzle, and apoptosis strategies based on mitochondrial Ca2+ overload have attracted extensive attention. However, various limitations of current Ca2+ nanogenerators make it difficult to maintain effective Ca2+ overload concentrations. Here, we constructed a multimodal Ca2+ nano-modulator that, for the first time, combined photothermal therapy (PTT) and mitochondrial Ca2+ overload strategies to inhibit tumor development. By crosslinking sodium alginate (SA) on the surface of calcium carbonate (CaCO3) nanoparticles encapsulating with Cur and ICG, we prepared a synergistic Ca2+ nano-regulator SA/Cur@CaCO3-ICG (SCCI). In vitro studies have shown that SCCI further enhanced photostability while preserving the optical properties of ICG. After uptake by tumor cells, SCCI can reduce mitochondrial membrane potential and down-regulate ATP production by producing large amounts of Ca2+ at low pH. Near-infrared light radiation (NIR) laser irradiation made the tumor cells heat up sharply, which not only accelerated the decomposition of CaCO3, but also produced large amounts of reactive oxygen species (ROS) followed by cell apoptosis. In vivo studies have revealed that the Ca2+ nano-regulators had excellent targeting, biocompatibility, and anti-tumor effects, which can significantly inhibit the proliferation of tumor cells and play a direct killing effect. These findings indicated that therapeutic strategies based on ionic interference and PTT had great therapeutic potential, providing new insights into antitumor therapy.

Nanoparticle-based drug delivery systems to enhance cancer immunotherapy in solid tumors

Immunotherapy has developed rapidly in solid tumors, especially in the areas of blocking inhibitory immune checkpoints and adoptive T-cell transfer for immune regulation. Many patients benefit from immunotherapy. However, the response rate of immunotherapy in the overall population are relatively low, which depends on the characteristics of the tumor and individualized patient differences. Moreover, the occurrence of drug resistance and adverse reactions largely limit the development of immunotherapy. Recently, the emergence of nanodrug delivery systems (NDDS) seems to improve the efficacy of immunotherapy by encapsulating drug carriers in nanoparticles to precisely reach the tumor site with high stability and biocompatibility, prolonging the drug cycle of action and greatly reducing the occurrence of toxic side effects. In this paper, we mainly review the advantages of NDDS and the mechanisms that enhance conventional immunotherapy in solid tumors, and summarize the recent advances in NDDS-based therapeutic strategies, which will provide valuable ideas for the development of novel tumor immunotherapy regimen.

PTT/ PDT-induced Microbial Apoptosis and Wound Healing Depend on Immune Activation and Macrophage Phenotype Transformation

Antibiotics show unsuccessful application in biofilm destruction, which induce chronic infections and emergence of antibiotic resistant bacteria. Photodynamic therapy (PDT) and photothermal therapy (PTT), as widely accepted antimicrobial tools of phototherapy, could effectively activate the immune system and promote the proliferation of wound tissue, thus becoming the most promising therapeutic strategy to replace antibiotics and avoid drug-resistant strains. However, there is no consensus on whether antibacterial and wound healing achieved by PDT/PTT depend not only on the cytotoxic effect of the treatment itself, but also on the activation of host immune system. In this study, CaSiO₃-ClO₂@PDA-ICG nanoparticles (CCPI NPs) were designed as PDT/PTT antimicrobial model material. With the comparison of healing effect between wide-type mice and severely immunodeficient (C-NKG) mice, the dependence of PDT/PTT-induced microbial apoptosis and wound healing on immune activation and macrophage phenotype transformation was explored and verified. Furthermore, the induced phenotypic transformation of macrophages during PDT/PTT treatment was demonstrated to play crucial role in the improvement of epithelial-mesenchymal transformation (EMT). In summary, this study represents great significance for further identifying the role of immune system activation in antibacterial phototherapy and developing new treatment strategies for biofilm-infected wound healing. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: A PDT/PTT combination therapy model nanoparticle was established for biofilm-infected wounds. Both microbial apoptosis and wound healing achieved by PDT/PTT combination therapy were highly dependent on the activated immune system, especially the M2 macrophage phenotype. PDT/PTT could promote the polarization of monocytes to the phenotype of M2 macrophages, which promotes EMT behavior of the tissue at the edge of the wound through the secretion of TGF-β1, thus accelerating wound healing.

Mesoporous silica/organosilica nanoparticles for cancer immunotherapy

Cancer is one of the fatal diseases in the history of humankind. In this regard, cancer immunotherapeutic strategies have revolutionized the traditional mode of cancer treatment. Silica based nano-platforms have been extensively applied in nanomedicine including cancer immunotherapy. Mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSN) and mesoporous organosilica nanoparticles (MON) are attractive candidates due to the ease in controlling the structural parameters as needed for the targeted immunotherapeutic applications. Especially, the MON provide an additional advantage of controlling the composition and modulating the biological functions to actively synergize with other immunotherapeutic strategies. In this review, the applications of MSN, MON, and metal-doped MSN/MON in the field of cancer immunotherapy and tumor microenvironment regulation are comprehensively summarized by highlighting the structural and compositional attributes of the silica-based nanoplatforms.

Programmed-stimuli responsive carrier-free multidrug delivery system for highly efficient trimodal combination therapy

Programmed response, carrier-free, and multimodal therapy drug delivery systems (DDS) are promising solutions to multidirectional cytotoxic effects, inefficient antitumor, and severe side effects for cancer therapy. Here, three widely used clinical drugs, interferon α1b (IFNα1b), indocyanine green (ICG), and doxorubicin (DOX), were prepared into carrier-free DDS IFNα1b-ICG-DOX (IID) by a simple one-step method without additional any reagents. IID can achieve smart and programmed DDS by combining low pH and near-infrared (NIR) light stimuli-responsive controlled release. In pH = 7.4 environments, our IID is about 380 nm in size with negative charge rounded particles; while they enter into the acid environment (pH < 7), hydrogen ions (H⁺) trigger DOX release, their size becomes larger and the surface charge turns positive. These larger particles are rapidly disintegrated after exposure to NIR light and then the remaining DOX, IFNα1b, and ICG are released. In vivo, the IID with larger size and positive charge resulting from low pH is is easy to accumulate in tumor tissue. Tumors can be exposed to NIR light when needed to control the release of these three drugs. Hence, DOX, ICG, and IFNα1b can be enriched in the tumor to the high efficiency of combined chemotherapy, photothermal therapy, and immunotherapy.

An inorganic-organic-polymeric nanovehicle for targeting delivery of doxorubicin: Rational assembly, pH-stimulus release, and dual hyperthermia/chemotherapy of hepatocellular carcinoma

Efficiently synergistic therapy of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) by chemotherapeutic drug and photothermal agent remains a considerable challenge. Here, we report a nanodrug that integrates specific hepatoma-targeted delivery, pH-triggered drug release, and cooperative photothermal-chemotherapy function. By grafting the easily self-assembled CuS@polydopamine (CuS@PDA) nanocapsulation with polyacrylic acid (PAA), an inorganic-organic-polymeric hybrid nanovehicle was developed as a dual photothermal agent and carrier for loading antitumor drug-doxorubicin (DOX) through electrostatic adsorption and chemical linking antibody against GPC3 commonly overexpressed in HCC, resulting in the nanodrug, CuS@PDA/PAA/DOX/GPC3. The multifunctional nanovehicle had excellent biocompatibility, stability, and high photothermal conversion efficiency, due to the rationally designed binary CuS@PDA photothermal agent. The 72-h accumulative drug release in pH 5.5 tumor microenvironment can reach up to 84%, far higher than 15% measured in pH 7.4 condition. Notably, in contrast to the merely 20% survival rate of H9c2 and HL-7702 cells exposed to free DOX, their viabilities in the nanodrug circumstance can maintain 54% and 66%, respectively, suggesting the abated toxicity to the normal cell lines. When exposed to the hepatoma-targeting nanodrug, the viability of HepG2 cells was found to be 36%, which further drastically declined to 10% plus 808-nm NIR irradiation. Moreover, the nanodrug is potent to cause tumor ablation in HCC-modeled mice, and the therapeutic efficacy can be greatly enhanced under NIR stimulus. Histology analyses reveal that the nanodrug can effectively alleviate the chemical damage to heart and liver, as compared to free DOX. This work thus offers a facile strategy for design of targeting anti-HCC nanodrug toward combined photothermal-chemotherapy.

Chiral Nanosilica Drug Delivery Systems Stereoselectively Interacted with the Intestinal Mucosa to Improve the Oral Adsorption of Insoluble Drugs

Chiral nanoparticles (NPs) with nanoscale rough surfaces have enormous application prospects in drug delivery. However, the stereoselective interactions between the chiral NPs and biosurfaces remain challenging and mysterious. Herein, we designed mesoporous silica nanocarriers (l/d/dl-TA-PEI@CMSN) exhibiting the same structural parameters (hydrophilic, electroneutral, spherical NPs, ∼120 nm) but different geometrical chirality as oral nanodrug delivery systems (Nano-DDS) for insoluble drugs nimesulide (NMS) and ibuprofen (IBU) and demonstrated their stereoselective interactions with the intestinal mucosa, that is, l-TA-PEI@CMSN as well as Nano-DDS in the l-configuration displayed apparent superior behaviors in multiple microprocesses associated with oral adsorption, including adhesion, penetration, adsorption, retention and uptake, causing by the stereomatching between the chiral mesostructures of NPs and the inherent chiral topologies of the biosurfaces. As hosting systems, l/d/dl-TA-PEI@CMSN effectively incorporated drugs in amorphous states and helped to overcome the stability, solubility and permeability bottlenecks of drugs. Subsequently, Nano-DDS in the l-configuration (including IBU/l-TA-PEI@CMSN and NMS/d-TA-PEI@CMSN owing to a chiral inversion) showed higher oral delivery efficiency of NMS and IBU evidenced by the larger relative bioavailability (1055.06% and 583.17%, respectively) and stronger anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects. In addition, l/d/dl-TA-PEI@CMSN were stable, nonirritative, biocompatible and biodegradable, benefiting for their clinical applications. These findings provided insights into the rational design of functionalized Nano-DDS and contributed to the further knowledge in the field of chiral pharmaceutical science.

Multifunctional nanoparticle for cancer therapy

Cancer is a complex disease associated with a combination of abnormal physiological process and exhibiting dysfunctions in multiple systems. To provide effective treatment and diagnosis for cancer, current treatment strategies simultaneously focus on various tumor targets. Based on the rapid development of nanotechnology, nanocarriers have been shown to exhibit excellent potential for cancer therapy. Compared with nanoparticles with single functions, multifunctional nanoparticles are believed to be more aggressive and potent in the context of tumor targeting. However, the development of multifunctional nanoparticles is not simply an upgraded version of the original function, but involves a sophisticated system with a proper backbone, optimized modification sites, simple preparation method, and efficient function integration. Despite this, many well-designed multifunctional nanoparticles with promising therapeutic potential have emerged recently. Here, to give a detailed understanding and analyzation of the currently developed multifunctional nanoparticles, their platform structures with organic or inorganic backbones were systemically generalized. We emphasized on the functionalization and modification strategies, which provide additional functions to the nanoparticle. We also discussed the application combination strategies that were involved in the development of nanoformulations with functional crosstalk. This review thus provides an overview of the construction strategies and application advances of multifunctional nanoparticles.

Clinical indocyanine green-based silk fibroin theranostic nanoprobes for in vivo NIR-I/II fluorescence imaging of cervical diseases

Cervical diseases such as lymph node disease and tubal obstruction have threatened women's health. However, the traditional diagnostic methods still have shortcomings. NIR-II fluorescence imaging with advantages of low scattering, negligible autofluorescence, and high spatial resolution could be an ideal option. To obtain high quality NIR-II fluorescence imaging, selecting appropriate nanoprobes becomes the important issue. As a small molecular photothermal agent, extensive applications of ICG are rather limited because of its drawbacks. Herein, natural silk fibroin (SF) was synthesized and encapsulated ICG molecules to form SF@ICG nanoparticles (NPs). After detailed analysis, SF@ICG NPs showed excellent stability and long circulation time, as well as strong NIR-II fluorescence emission, well photo-stability, biocompatibility and well photothermal property under 808 nm laser irradiation. Furthermore, SF@ICG NPs were utilized for NIR-II fluorescence imaging of lymph node/lymphangiography and angiography of fallopian tubes. The process of fallopian tubes could be detected with high resolution and high sensitivity.

Nanomaterials-mediated photodynamic therapy and its applications in treating oral diseases

Oral diseases, such as dental caries, periodontitis and oral cancer, have a very high morbidity over the world. Basically, many oral diseases are commonly related to bacterial infections or cell malignant proliferation, and usually located on the superficial positions. These features allow the convenient and efficient application of photodynamic therapy (PDT) for oral diseases, since PDT is ideally suitable for the diseases on superficial sites and has been widely used for antimicrobial and anticancer therapy. Photosensitizers (PSs) are an essential element in PDT, which induce the generation of a large number of reactive oxygen species (ROS) upon absorption of specific lights. Almost all the PSs are small molecules and commonly suffered from various problems in the PDT environment, such as low solubility and poor stability. Recently, reports on the nanomedicine-based PDT have been well documented. Various functionalized nanomaterials can serve either as the PSs carriers or the direct PSs, thus enhancing the PDT efficacy. Herein, we aim to provide a comprehensive understanding of the features of different oral diseases and discuss the potential applications of nanomedicine-based PDT in the treatment of some common oral diseases. Also, the concerns and possible solutions for nanomaterials-mediated PDT are discussed.

Recent advances in mesoporous silica nanoparticle-based targeted drug-delivery systems for cancer therapy

Targeted drug-delivery systems are a growing research topic in tumor treatment. In recent years, mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) have been extensively studied and applied in noninvasive and biocompatible drug-delivery systems for tumor therapy due to their outstanding advantages, which include high surface area, large pore volume, tunable pore size, easy surface modification and stable framework. The advances in the application of MSNs for anticancer drug targeting are covered and highlighted in this review, and the challenges and prospects of MSN-based targeted drug-delivery systems are discussed. This review provides new insights for researchers interested in targeted drug-delivery systems against cancer.

Preparation and application of pH-responsive drug delivery systems

Microenvironment-responsive drug delivery systems (DDSs) can achieve targeted drug delivery, reduce drug side effects and improve drug efficacies. Among them, pH-responsive DDSs have gained popularity since the pH in the diseased tissues such as cancer, bacterial infection and inflammation differs from a physiological pH of 7.4 and this difference could be harnessed for DDSs to release encapsulated drugs specifically to these diseased tissues. A variety of synthetic approaches have been developed to prepare pH-sensitive DDSs, including introduction of a variety of pH-sensitive chemical bonds or protonated/deprotonated chemical groups. A myriad of nano DDSs have been explored to be pH-responsive, including liposomes, micelles, hydrogels, dendritic macromolecules and organic-inorganic hybrid nanoparticles, and micron level microspheres. The prodrugs from drug-loaded pH-sensitive nano DDSs have been applied in research on anticancer therapy and diagnosis of cancer, inflammation, antibacterial infection, and neurological diseases. We have systematically summarized synthesis strategies of pH-stimulating DDSs, illustrated commonly used and recently developed nanocarriers for these DDSs and covered their potential in different biomedical applications, which may spark new ideas for the development and application of pH-sensitive nano DDSs.

Progress of Nanomaterials in Photodynamic Therapy Against Tumor

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is an advanced therapeutic strategy with light-triggered, minimally invasive, high spatiotemporal selective and low systemic toxicity properties, which has been widely used in the clinical treatment of many solid tumors in recent years. Any strategies that improve the three elements of PDT (light, oxygen, and photosensitizers) can improve the efficacy of PDT. However, traditional PDT is confronted some challenges of poor solubility of photosensitizers and tumor suppressive microenvironment. To overcome the related obstacles of PDT, various strategies have been investigated in terms of improving photosensitizers (PSs) delivery, penetration of excitation light sources, and hypoxic tumor microenvironment. In addition, compared with a single treatment mode, the synergistic treatment of multiple treatment modalities such as photothermal therapy, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy can improve the efficacy of PDT. This review summarizes recent advances in nanomaterials, including metal nanoparticles, liposomes, hydrogels and polymers, to enhance the efficiency of PDT against malignant tumor.

Recent developments in mesoporous polydopamine-derived nanoplatforms for cancer theranostics

Polydopamine (PDA), which is derived from marine mussels, has excellent potential in early diagnosis of diseases and targeted drug delivery owing to its good biocompatibility, biodegradability, and photothermal conversion. However, when used as a solid nanoparticle, the application of traditional PDA is restricted because of the low drug-loading and encapsulation efficiencies of hydrophobic drugs. Nevertheless, the emergence of mesoporous materials broaden our horizon. Mesoporous polydopamine (MPDA) has the characteristics of a porous structure, simple preparation process, low cost, high specific surface area, high light-to-heat conversion efficiency, and excellent biocompatibility, and therefore has gained considerable interest. This review provides an overview of the preparation methods and the latest applications of MPDA-based nanodrug delivery systems (chemotherapy combined with radiotherapy, photothermal therapy combined with chemotherapy, photothermal therapy combined with immunotherapy, photothermal therapy combined with photodynamic/chemodynamic therapy, and cancer theranostics). This review is expected to shed light on the multi-strategy antitumor therapy applications of MPDA-based nanodrug delivery systems.

Self-assembled Au4Cu4/Au25 NCs@liposome tumor nanotheranostics with PT/fluorescence imaging-guided synergetic PTT/PDT

Exploring and developing a new type of nanoplatform with diagnosis and treatment to effectively cure tumors and reduce side effects has become a hot spot for researchers and is of great significance. Herein, a cancer theranostic nanoplatform with dual-imaging, dual-phototherapy and laser-responsiveness to tumor microenvironment was successfully assembled by liposome (Lip) co-loaded with oil-soluble Au₄Cu₄ nanoclusters (NCs) and water-soluble Au₂₅ NCs via a simple film hydration method and subsequent extraction process. The prepared Au₄Cu₄/Au₂₅@Lip nanoplatform with core-shell structure and about 50 nm of uniform sphere shape presented highly biocompatible, stability and passive targeting due to the enhanced permeability and retention (EPR) effect. Furthermore, the Lip composed of lecithin and cholesterol has good affinity with the cell membrane, which can realize the effective accumulation of photosensitizers at the tumor site, so that improving phototherapy effect and reducing the damage to normal tissue. The loaded oil-soluble Au₄Cu₄ NCs were firstly and pleasantly surprised to find possessed not only ideal photodynamic effect, but also preferable catalysis towards endogenous hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) decomposition to produce oxygen (O₂) for improving the tumor hypoxic environment besides the excellent photoluminescence ability while the water-soluble Au₂₅ NCs own outstanding photothermogenesis effect and also photoluminescence performance. The in vitro and in vivo experiment results proved that in the Au₄Cu₄/Au₂₅@Lip nanoplatform, the performances of both NCs were complementary, which presenting considerable photothermal/fluorescence imaging (PTI/FI)-guided synergistic photothermal therapy (PTT)/O₂-enhanced photodynamic therapy (PDT) effect for the tumor under the irradiation of near infrared (NIR) laser. This work provides a useful inspiration and paves a new way for the assembly of NCs or namomaterials with different properties into an integrated anti-tumor theranostic nanoplatform.

An Update on Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticle Applications in Nanomedicine

The efficient and safe delivery of therapeutic drugs, proteins, and nucleic acids are essential for meaningful therapeutic benefits. The field of nanomedicine shows promising implications in the development of therapeutics by delivering diagnostic and therapeutic compounds. Nanomedicine development has led to significant advances in the design and engineering of nanocarrier systems with supra-molecular structures. Smart mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs), with excellent biocompatibility, tunable physicochemical properties, and site-specific functionalization, offer efficient and high loading capacity as well as robust and targeted delivery of a variety of payloads in a controlled fashion. Such unique nanocarriers should have great potential for challenging biomedical applications, such as tissue engineering, bioimaging techniques, stem cell research, and cancer therapies. However, in vivo applications of these nanocarriers should be further validated before clinical translation. To this end, this review begins with a brief introduction of MSNs properties, targeted drug delivery, and controlled release with a particular emphasis on their most recent diagnostic and therapeutic applications.

Advances in antibody nanoconjugates for diagnosis and therapy: A review of recent studies and trends

Nowadays, the targeted imaging probe and drug delivery systems are the novel breakthrough area in the nanomedicine and treatment of various diseases. Conjugation of monoclonal antibodies and their fragments on nanoparticles (NPs) have a remarkable impact on personalized medicine, such that it provides specific internalization and accumulation in the tumor microenvironment. Targeted imaging and early detection of cancer is presumably the strong participant to a diminution in mortality and recurrence of cancer disease that will be the next generation of the imaging device in clinical application. These intelligent delivery systems can deliver therapeutic agents that target cancerous tissue with minimal side effects and a wide therapeutic window. Overall, the linkage between the antibody and NPs is a critical subject and requires precise design and development. The attachment of antibody nanoconjugates (Ab-NCs) on the antigen surface shouldn't affect the function of the antibody-antigen binding. Also, the stability of the antibody nanoconjugates in blood circulation is concerned to avoid the release of drug in non-targeted regions and the possible for specific toxicity while disposal to the desired site. Here, we update the recent progress of Ab-NCs to improve early detection and cancer therapy.