One-pot photoreduction to prepare NIR-absorbing plasmonic gold nanoparticles tethered by amphiphilic polypeptide copolymer for synergistic photothermal-chemotherapy

Engineered Ti3C2(O,Cl) MXenes with dual functionalization: a new Frontier in targeted head and neck squamous cell carcinoma and breast adenocarcinoma

Ti3C2Tx MXenes have attracted significant attention in the realm of anticancer therapeutics owing to their remarkable properties, including cyto-compatibility and targeted drug delivery capabilities. In this study, Ti3C2 was intentionally modified with both chlorine and oxygen surface groups, as each of these functional groups have individually demonstrated promising anticancer properties. Our aim was to combine them in a single compound to explore how this dual-functionalized material might perform in a therapeutic context. This study synthesizes Ti3C2(O,Cl) MXenes using a novel electrochemical etching technique that allows for precise tailoring of the surface terminations with O and Cl groups. The synthesised Ti3C2(O,Cl) has biological activity in two cancerous (FaDu and MCF-7) and two normal (H9C2 and HEK-293) cell lines. The results of cytotoxicity data showed that the observed toxic effects were higher against cancerous cells (∼91%) than normal cells (∼40%). The mechanisms of potential toxicity were also elucidated. The synthesized Ti3C2(O,Cl) MXene has an effect on oxidative stress, resulting in an increase of more than 91.44% in reactive oxygen species (ROS) production in malignant cells. The results of this study provide major insights to date into the biological activity of Ti3C2(O,Cl) MXenes and develop their application in anticancer treatments.

Advances in photothermal therapy for cancer and bacterial cells ablation using various nanomaterials

Bacterial pathogens can cause severe infections leading to mortality and morbidity. The current method of treatment for bacteria is the use of multiple antibiotics. Due to the overuse of antibiotics, many bacteria have become antibiotic-resistant. An alternative and effective treatment for bacterial infection is needed, and photothermal therapy (PTT) has emerged as a new solution for treating bacterial infection. Similarly, one of the main challenges in cancer treatment is the overuse of drugs that have multiple side effects. In recent years, there have been significantly more research activities in alternative therapy for pathogenic bacteria and cancer cells. Recently, PTT has also been used to treat various medical conditions like cancer, bacterial infections, or bacterial biofilm. Different kinds of nanomaterials like gold nanoparticles (AuNPs), Graphene Oxide (GO), Carbon nanotubes (CNTs), etc. have been explored for this purpose. In this particular review, we will elaborate on different kinds of nanomaterials (metallic, non-metallic, polymeric) widely used for PTT applications for bacteria and cancer cells. These kinds of nanoparticles have strong absorption in the NIR region and can convert light energy into heat energy, leading to hyperthermia. Further different types of PTT will be elaborated on, along with challenges and future applications. The current review will pave a new way for the therapeutic potential of different nanomaterials for bacterial infection and cancer treatment.

A self-assembled copper-artemisinin nanoprodrug as an efficient reactive oxygen species amplified cascade system for cancer treatment

Chemodynamic therapy (CDT) is a tumor-specific intervention methodology, which is based on the upregulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) content by triggering the Fenton or Fenton-like reaction within the tumor microenvironment (TME). However, there are still challenges in achieving high-efficiency CDT on account of both the limited intracellular hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and delivery efficiency of Fenton metal ions. Copper-based nanotherapeutic systems have attracted extensive attention and have been widely applied in the construction of nanotherapeutic systems and multimodal synergistic therapy. Herein, we propose a strategy to synergize chemotherapy drugs that upregulate intracellular ROS content with chemodynamic therapy and construct an artemisinin-copper nanoprodrug for proof-of-concept. With the proposed biomimetic self-assembly strategy, we successfully construct an injectable nanoprodrug with suitable size distribution and high drug loading content (68.1 wt%) through the self-assembly of amphiphilic artemisinin prodrug and copper ions. After reaching the TME, both Cu2+ ions and free AH drugs can be released from AHCu nanoprodrugs. Subsequently, the disassembled Cu2+ ions are converted into Cu+ ions by consuming the intracellular GSH. The generated Cu+ ions serve as a highly efficient Fenton-like reagent for robust ROS generation from both AH and tumor-over-produced H2O2. Results show that the nanoprodrug can realize the cascade amplification of ROS generation via artemisinin delivery and subsequent in situ Fenton-like reaction and a high tumor inhibition rate of 62.48% in vivo. This work provides a promising strategy for the design and development of an efficient nanoprodrug for tumor-specific treatment.

MXene-Integrated Silk Fibroin-Based Self-Assembly-Driven 3D-Printed Theragenerative Scaffolds for Remotely Photothermal Anti-Osteosarcoma Ablation and Bone Regeneration

Aiming to address the bone regeneration and cancer therapy functionalities in one single material, in this study, we developed a dual-functional theragenerative three-dimensional (3D) aerogel-based composite scaffold from hybridization of photo-cross-linked silk fibroin (SF) biopolymer with MXene (Ti3C2) two-dimensional (2D) nanosheets. To fabricate the scaffold, we first develop a dual-cross-linked SF-based aerogel scaffold through 3D printing and photo-cross-linking of the self-assembly-driven methacrylate-modified SF (SF-MA) gel with controlled pore size, macroscopic geometry, and mechanical stability. In the next step, to endow a remotely controlled photothermal antiosteosarcoma ablation function to fabricated aerogel scaffold, MXene 2D nanosheets with strong near-infrared (NIR) photon absorption properties were integrated into the 3D-printed scaffolds. While 3D-printed MXene-modified dual-cross-linked SF composite scaffolds can mediate the in vitro growth and proliferation of preosteoblastic cell lines, they also endow a strong photothermal effect upon remote irradiation with NIR laser but also significantly stimulate bone mineral deposition on the scaffold surface. Additionally, besides the local release of the anticancer model drug, the generated heat (45-53 °C) mediated the photothermal ablation of cancer cells. The developed aerogel-based composites and chosen therapeutic techniques are thought to render a significant breakthrough in biomaterials' future clinical applications.

Smart nanoparticles for cancer therapy

Smart nanoparticles, which can respond to biological cues or be guided by them, are emerging as a promising drug delivery platform for precise cancer treatment. The field of oncology, nanotechnology, and biomedicine has witnessed rapid progress, leading to innovative developments in smart nanoparticles for safer and more effective cancer therapy. In this review, we will highlight recent advancements in smart nanoparticles, including polymeric nanoparticles, dendrimers, micelles, liposomes, protein nanoparticles, cell membrane nanoparticles, mesoporous silica nanoparticles, gold nanoparticles, iron oxide nanoparticles, quantum dots, carbon nanotubes, black phosphorus, MOF nanoparticles, and others. We will focus on their classification, structures, synthesis, and intelligent features. These smart nanoparticles possess the ability to respond to various external and internal stimuli, such as enzymes, pH, temperature, optics, and magnetism, making them intelligent systems. Additionally, this review will explore the latest studies on tumor targeting by functionalizing the surfaces of smart nanoparticles with tumor-specific ligands like antibodies, peptides, transferrin, and folic acid. We will also summarize different types of drug delivery options, including small molecules, peptides, proteins, nucleic acids, and even living cells, for their potential use in cancer therapy. While the potential of smart nanoparticles is promising, we will also acknowledge the challenges and clinical prospects associated with their use. Finally, we will propose a blueprint that involves the use of artificial intelligence-powered nanoparticles in cancer treatment applications. By harnessing the potential of smart nanoparticles, this review aims to usher in a new era of precise and personalized cancer therapy, providing patients with individualized treatment options.

Self-Assembly-Driven Bi2S3 Nanobelts Integrated a Silk-Fibroin-Based 3D-Printed Aerogel-Based Scaffold with a Dual-Network Structure for Photothermal Bone Cancer Therapy

Multifunctional all-in-one biomaterial combining the therapeutic and regeneration functionalities for successive tumor therapy and tissue regeneration is in high demand in interdisciplinary research. In this study, a three-dimensional (3D) aerogel-based composite scaffold with a dual-network structure generated through self-assembly and photo-cross-linking with combined properties of photothermally triggered controlled anticancer drug release and photothermal cancer cell ablation was successfully fabricated. The fabrication of composites consists of self-assembly of a silk fibroin methacrylate (SF-MA) biopolymer incorporated with hydrothermally driven bismuth sulfide (Bi₂S₃) methacrylate nanobelts, followed by a photo-cross-linking-assisted 3D-printing process. The developed scaffolds presented hierarchically organized porosity and excellent photothermal conversion thanks to the strong near-infrared (NIR) photon absorption of incorporated Bi₂S₃ nanobelts inside the scaffold matrix. The heat generated in the scaffold mediated by laser irradiation has not only triggered controlled and prolonged release of the anticancer drug but also significantly ablated the bone cancer cells adhered on the scaffold. In addition, the developed 3D composite scaffolds have demonstrated excellent biodegradability for organic and inorganic network constituents at different media, enabling them as potential implants to be replaced by de novo tissue. In combination of chemotherapy and photothermal therapy, the multifunctional 3D-printed composite aerogel scaffold is expected to be an excellent implantable material in bone tissue engineering (BTE) for successive cancer therapy and tissue regeneration.

A Sol-Gel/Solvothermal Synthetic Approach to Titania Nanoparticles for Raman Thermometry

The accurate determination of the local temperature is one of the most important challenges in the field of nanotechnology and nanomedicine. For this purpose, different techniques and materials have been extensively studied in order to identify both the best-performing materials and the techniques with greatest sensitivity. In this study, the Raman technique was exploited for the determination of the local temperature as a non-contact technique and titania nanoparticles (NPs) were tested as nanothermometer Raman active material. Biocompatible titania NPs were synthesized following a combination of sol-gel and solvothermal green synthesis approaches, with the aim of obtaining pure anatase samples. In particular, the optimization of three different synthesis protocols allowed materials to be obtained with well-defined crystallite dimensions and good control over the final morphology and dispersibility. TiO₂ powders were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) analyses and room-temperature Raman measurements, to confirm that the synthesized samples were single-phase anatase titania, and using SEM measurements, which clearly showed the nanometric dimension of the NPs. Stokes and anti-Stokes Raman measurements were collected, with the excitation laser at 514.5 nm (CW Ar/Kr ion laser), in the temperature range of 293-323 K, a range of interest for biological applications. The power of the laser was carefully chosen in order to avoid possible heating due to the laser irradiation. The data support the possibility of evaluating the local temperature and show that TiO₂ NPs possess high sensitivity and low uncertainty in the range of a few degrees as a Raman nanothermometer material.

CD44-Receptor Targeted Gold-Doxorubicin Nanocomposite for Pulsatile Chemo-Photothermal Therapy of Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Cells

This study reports the CD44 receptor-targeted gold-doxorubicin nanocomposite (TGNC-DOX) for pulsatile chemo-photothermal therapy of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). The developed TGNC-DOX was nanometric, having a particle size of 71.34 ± 3.66 nm. The doxorubicin was loaded by electrostatic interaction with high entrapment and loading efficiency (>75%). TGNC-DOX showed potent photothermal response and reversible photothermal stability following irradiation with 808 nm NIR laser irradiation. Further, TGNC-DOX showed laser-responsive and pH-dependent drug release behavior suggesting its suitability for chemo-photothermal therapy, specifically at the tumor microenvironment site. Cellular viability, cellular uptake, ROS generation, and apoptosis assays suggested selective localization of TGNC-DOX in cancer cells that showed a significant cytotoxic effect against MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells. Moreover, the developed TGNC-DOX showed ferroptosis in MDA-MB-231 cells. The event of TGNC-DOX-mediated thermal ablation is marked by a significant generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and apoptosis, as affirmed by flow cytometry. NIR-808 laser-responsive photothermal therapy of cancer cells was found to be more effective than without NIR-808 laser-treated cells, suggesting the fundamental role of photothermal ablation. The outcome concludes developed TGNC-DOX is a novel and potential tool to mediate laser-guided chemo-photothermal ablation treatment of cancer cells.

Green photoreduction synthesis of dispersible gold nanoparticles and their direct in situ assembling in multidimensional substrates for SERS detection

Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) and their composites have been applied in surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) detection methods, owing to their stable and excellent surface plasmon resonance. Unfortunately, methods for synthesizing AuNPs often require harsh conditions and complicated external steps. Additionally, removing residual surfactants or unreacted reductants is critical for improving the sensitivity of SERS detection, especially when employing AuNPs-assembled multidimensional substrates. In this study, we propose a simple and green method for AuNPs synthesis via photoreduction, which does not require external surfactant additives or stabilizers. All the processes were completed within 20 min. Along this way, only methanol was employed as the electron acceptor. Based on this photoreduction synthesis strategy, AuNPs can be directly and circularly assembled in situ in multidimensional substrates for SERS detection. The removal of residual methanol was easy because of its low boiling point. This strategy was employed for the preparation of three different dimensional SERS substrates: filter paper@AuNPs, g-C3N4@AuNPs, and MIL-101(Cr)@AuNPs. The limit of detection of filter paper@AuNPs for thiabendazole SERS detection was 1.0 × 10-7 mol/L, while the limits of detection of g-C3N4@AuNPs and MIL-101(Cr)@AuNPs for malachite green SERS detection were both 5.0 × 10-11 mol/L. This strategy presents potential in AuNP doping materials and SERS detection.

Advanced metal and carbon nanostructures for medical, drug delivery and bio-imaging applications

Nanoparticles (NPs) offer great promise for biomedical, environmental, and clinical applications due to their several unique properties as compared to their bulk counterparts. In this review article, we overview various types of metal NPs and magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) in monolithic form as well as embedded into polymer matrices for specific drug delivery and bio-imaging fields. The second part of this review covers important carbon nanostructures that have gained tremendous attention recently in such medical applications due to their ease of fabrication, excellent biocompatibility, and biodegradability at both cellular and molecular levels for phototherapy, radio-therapeutics, gene-delivery, and biotherapeutics. Furthermore, various applications and challenges involved in the use of NPs as biomaterials are also discussed following the future perspectives of the use of NPs in biomedicine. This review aims to contribute to the applications of different NPs in medicine and healthcare that may open up new avenues to encourage wider research opportunities across various disciplines.

H2O2 generation enhancement by ultrasonic nebulisation with a zinc layer for spray disinfection

With the outbreak of COVID-19, microbial pollution has gained increasing attention as a threat to human health. Consequently, many research efforts are being devoted to the development of efficient disinfection methods. In this context, hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) stands out as a green and broad-spectrum disinfectant, which can be produced and sprayed in the air directly by cavitation in ultrasonic nebulisation. However, the yield of H₂O₂ obtained by ultrasonic nebulisation is too low to satisfy the requirements for disinfection by spraying and needs to be improved to achieve efficient disinfection of the air and objects. Herein, we report the introduction of a zinc layer into an ultrasonic nebuliser to improve the production of H₂O₂ and generate additional Zn²⁺ by self-corrosion, achieving good disinfecting performance. Specifically, a zinc layer was assembled on the oscillator plate of a commercial ultrasonic nebuliser, resulting in a 21-fold increase in the yield of H₂O₂ and the production of 4.75 μg/mL Zn²⁺ in the spraying droplets. When the generated water mist was used to treat a bottle polluted with Escherichia coli for 30 min, the sterilisation rate reached 93.53%. This ultrasonic nebulisation using a functional zinc layer successfully enhanced the production of H₂O₂ while generating Zn²⁺, providing a platform for the development of new methodologies of spray disinfection.

Nanocarrier-Based Tumor-Targeting Drug Delivery Systems for Hepatocellular Carcinoma Treatments: Enhanced Therapeutic Efficacy and Reduced Drug Toxicity

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), due to the lack of efficient diagnostic methods and short of available treatments, becomes the third main cause of cancer deaths. Novel treatments for HCCs are thus in great need. The fast-growing area of drug delivery provides intriguing possibility to design nanocarriers with unique properties. The nanocarriers performanced as drug deliver vehicles enable the design of diverse drug delivery systems, which could serve multiple purposes, including improved bioavailability, controlled or triggered release and targeted delivery, leading to enhanced drug efficacy and lowered drug toxicity. This paper provides an overview on the types of delivery vehicles, functions of drug nanocarriers and types of ligand-based targeting systems and highlights the advances made towards better HCC treatments.

Hyperthermia based individual in situ recombinant vaccine enhances lymph nodes drainage for de novo antitumor immunity

The continuing challenges that limit effectiveness of tumor therapeutic vaccines were high heterogeneity of tumor immunogenicity, low bioactivity of antigens, as well as insufficient lymph nodes (LNs) drainage of antigens and adjuvants. Transportation of in situ neoantigens and adjuvants to LNs may be an effective approach to solve the abovementioned problems. Therefore, an FA-TSL/AuNCs/SV nanoplatform was constructed by integrating simvastatin (SV) adjuvant loaded Au nanocages (AuNCs) as cores (AuNCs/SV) and folic acid modified thermal-sensitive liposomes (FA-TSL) as shells to enhance de novo antitumor immunity. After accumulation in tumor guided by FA, AuNCs mediated photothermal therapy (PTT) induced the release of tumor-derived protein antigens (TDPAs) and the shedding of FA-TSL. Exposed AuNCs/SV soon captured TDPAs to form in situ recombinant vaccine (AuNCs/SV/TDPAs). Subsequently, AuNCs/SV/TDPAs could efficiently transport to draining LNs owing to the hyperthermia induced vasodilation effect and small particle size, achieving co-delivery of antigens and adjuvant for initiation of specific T cell response. In melanoma bearing mice, FA-TSL/AuNCs/SV and laser irradiation effectively ablated primary tumor, against metastatic tumors and induced immunological memory. This approach served a hyperthermia enhanced platform drainage to enable robust personalized cancer vaccination.

Prostate-Specific Membrane Antigen-1-Mediated Au@SiO₂@Au Core-Shell Nanoparticles: Targeting Prostate Cancer to Enhance Photothermal Therapy and Fluorescence Imaging

The advantages of deep tissue penetration and the high spatial accuracy of photothermal therapy have been widely studied. Gold, as a photothermal material, has received particular attention. Different sizes and shapes of gold have been studied and characterized for their varying photothermal properties. The core-shell structure of gold nanoparticles and silica enhances the photothermal conversion through the coupling effect between gold clusters on the material's surface. With excellent photothermal conversion performance, the core-shell nanoparticles can quickly reach 40 °C in 200 s under the irradiation of 808 nm, 1.5 W·cm^-2. The highest conversion temperature of these nanoparticles is 56 °C, and the photothermal conversion rate is 45%. In vitro cell experiments displayed that NPs with targeted function can efficiently aggregate in prostate cancer cells and effectively kill cells. In vitro experiments showed that the tumor cells of mice after photothermal treatment completely disappeared after 15 days, which fully demonstrated the potential of the nanoparticles for targeted photothermal therapy.

Recent advances in multifunctional nanomaterials for photothermal-enhanced Fenton-based chemodynamic tumor therapy

Photothermal (PT)-enhanced Fenton-based chemodynamic therapy (CDT) has attracted a significant amount of research attention over the last five years as a highly effective, safe, and tumor-specific nanomedicine-based therapy. CDT is a new emerging nanocatalyst-based therapeutic strategy for the in situ treatment of tumors via the Fenton reaction or Fenton-like reaction, which has got fast progress in recent years because of its high specificity and activation by endogenous substances. A variety of multifunctional nanomaterials such as metal-, metal oxide-, and metal-sulfide-based nanocatalysts have been designed and constructed to trigger the in situ Fenton or Fenton-like reaction within the tumor microenvironment (TME) to generate highly cytotoxic hydroxyl radicals (•OH), which is highly efficient for the killing of tumor cells. However, research is still required to enhance the curative outcomes and minimize its side effects. Specifically, the therapeutic efficiency of certain CDTs is still hindered by the TME, including low levels of endogenous hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), overexpression of reduced glutathione (GSH), and low catalytic efficacy of Fenton or Fenton-like reactions (pH 5.6-6.8), which makes it difficult to completely cure cancer using monotherapy. For this reason, photothermal therapy (PTT) has been utilized in combination with CDT to enhance therapeutic efficacy. More interestingly, tumor heating during PTT not only causes damage to the tumor cells but can also accelerate the generation of •OH via the Fenton and Fenton-like reactions, thus enhancing the CDT efficacy, providing more effective cancer treatment when compared with monotherapy. Currently, synergistic PT-enhanced CDT using multifunctional nanomaterials with both PT and chemodynamic properties has made enormous progress in cancer theranostics. However, there has been no comprehensive review on this subject published to date. In this review, we first summarize the recent progress in PT-enhanced Fenton-based CDT for cancer treatment. We then discuss the potential and challenges in the future development of PT-enhanced Fenton-based nanocatalytic tumor therapy for clinical application.

Imatinib co-loaded targeted realgar nanocrystal for synergistic therapy of chronic myeloid leukemia

Discovery of BCR-ABL1 tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) has revolutionized the therapy of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), a malignant myeloproliferative disease characterized by abnormal activation of BCR-ABL fusion oncoprotein with protein tyrosine kinase (PTK) activity. However, the long-term treatment outcomes with TKIs are strongly limited by multiple drug resistances, resulting in relapse albeit with initial high response rate. Here, we reported a realgar (As₄S₄) nanocrystal-based delivery system to reverse drug resistance for synergistic CML therapy. While As₄S₄ is extremely insoluble in water, bovine serum albumin (BSA) was rationally screened to effectively stabilize As₄S₄ nanocrystal with uniformed size of ~40 nm. Imatinib (IMA), a representative TKIs, can be readily loaded into the hydrophobic domain of BSA to develop As₄S₄/IMA co-delivery system. Mechanistically, IMA inhibits PTK activity, while As₄S₄ degrades BCR-ABL1, which co-contribute to tumor suppression via complementary pathways for synergistic effect. Moreover, the nanosystem was modified with folic acid (FA) to enable tumor targetability, which has been demonstrated both in vitro and in vivo, resulting in robust tumor growth inhibition and significantly prolonged mice survival without any noticeable adverse effects. This work designed a synergistic nanoplatform for targeted CML therapy, provided a strategy to address the key limitation of As₄S₄ for biomedical applications, and highlighted the advantages of the combination between traditional Chinese and western medicine for diseases treatment.

A Versatile Theranostic Platform for Colorectal Cancer Peritoneal Metastases: Real-Time Tumor-Tracking and Photothermal-Enhanced Chemotherapy

A versatile tumor-targeting stimuli-responsive theranostic platform for peritoneal metastases of colorectal cancer is proposed in this work for tumor tracking and photothermal-enhanced chemotherapy. A quenched photosensitizer ("off" state) is developed and escorted into a tumor-targeting oxaliplatin-embedded micelle. Once reaching the tumor cell, the micelle is clasped to release free oxaliplatin, as well as the "off" photosensitizer, which is further activated ("turned-on") in the tumor reducing microenvironment to provide optical imaging and photothermal effect. The combined results from hyperthermia-enhanced chemotherapy, deep penetration, perfused O2 , and the leveraged GSH-ROS imbalance in tumor cells are achieved for improved antitumor efficacy and reduced systematic toxicity.

Molecularly engineered carrier-free co-delivery nanoassembly for self-sensitized photothermal cancer therapy

BACKGROUND

Photothermal therapy (PTT) has been extensively investigated as a tumor-localizing therapeutic modality for neoplastic disorders. However, the hyperthermia effect of PTT is greatly restricted by the thermoresistance of tumor cells. Particularly, the compensatory expression of heat shock protein 90 (HSP90) has been found to significantly accelerate the thermal tolerance of tumor cells. Thus, a combination of HSP90 inhibitor and photothermal photosensitizer is expected to significantly enhance antitumor efficacy of PTT through hyperthermia sensitization. However, it remains challenging to precisely co-deliver two or more drugs into tumors.

METHODS

A carrier-free co-delivery nanoassembly of gambogic acid (GA, a HSP90 inhibitor) and DiR is ingeniously fabricated based on a facile and precise molecular co-assembly technique. The assembly mechanisms, photothermal conversion efficiency, laser-triggered drug release, cellular uptake, synergistic cytotoxicity of the nanoassembly are investigated in vitro. Furthermore, the pharmacokinetics, biodistribution and self-enhanced PTT efficacy were explored in vivo.

RESULTS

The nanoassembly presents multiple advantages throughout the whole drug delivery process, including carrier-free fabrication with good reproducibility, high drug co-loading efficiency with convenient dose adjustment, synchronous co-delivery of DiR and GA with long systemic circulation, as well as self-tracing tumor accumulation with efficient photothermal conversion. As expected, HSP90 inhibition-augmented PTT is observed in a 4T1 tumor BALB/c mice xenograft model.

CONCLUSION

Our study provides a novel and facile dual-drug co-assembly strategy for self-sensitized cancer therapy.

RGD Peptide and PAD4 Inhibitor-Loaded Gold Nanorods for Chemo-Photothermal Combined Therapy to Inhibit Tumor Growth, Prevent Lung Metastasis and Improve Biosafety

Purpose

A targeted drug delivery system that combines protein-arginine deiminase type-4 (PAD4) inhibitors YW3-56 (356) with PTT of NPs is constructed to both decrease the accumulation of gold in metabolic organs and reduce the dose of chemotherapeutic agents.

Patients and Methods

In vitro cytotoxicity test and in vivo S180 tumor-bearing mice model were used to compare antitumor activity of 356-modified gold nanospheres and nanorods. The A549 tumor-bearing mice model was also exploited in antitumor assessment. In addition, ICP-MS, blood cell analyzer and blood biochemistry analyzer are applied for assessing the biosafety of NPs.

Results

Both 356-modified gold nanospheres and nanorods showed antitumor activity. However, 356-loaded gold nanorods are found to have better tumor inhibitory activity than 356-loaded gold nanospheres in the presence of laser and without laser irradiation. Thus, 356-loaded gold nanorods are selected to be applied for chemo-photothermal combined therapy on in vivo. We find that combination therapy could inhibit tumor growth and reduce lung tumor metastasis and inflammatory infiltration compared with individual therapy. It triggers apoptosis in tumor tissue observed by TUNEL assay and TEM pictures.

Conclusion

Thus, an RGD targeting and PAD4 inhibitor-loaded system are established based on chemo-photothermal combined therapy. It could inhibit tumor growth, prevent lung metastasis and improve biosafety.

A Comparative Study of Cytotoxicity of PPG and PEG Surface-Modified 2-D Ti3C2 MXene Flakes on Human Cancer Cells and Their Photothermal Response

The MXenes are a novel family of 2-D materials with promising biomedical activity, however, their anticancer potential is still largely unexplored. In this study, a comparative cytotoxicity investigation of Ti3C2 MXenes with polypropylene glycol (PPG), and polyethylene glycol (PEG) surface-modified 2-D Ti3C2 MXene flakes has been conducted towards normal and cancerous human cell lines. The wet chemical etching method was used to synthesize MXene followed by a simple chemical mixing method for surface modification of Ti3C2 MXene with PPG and PEG molecules. SEM and XRD analyses were performed to examine surface morphology and elemental composition, respectively. FTIR and UV-vis spectroscopy were used to confirm surface modification and light absorption, respectively. The cell lines used to study the cytotoxicity of MXene and surface-modified MXenes in this study were normal (HaCaT and MCF-10A) and cancerous (MCF-7 and A375) cells. These cell lines were also used as controls (without exposure to study material and irradiation) to measure their baseline cell viability under the same lab environment. The surface-modified MXenes exhibited a sharp reduction in cell viability towards both normal (HaCaT and MCF-10A) and cancerous (MCF-7 and A375) cells but cytotoxicity was more pronounced towards cancerous cell lines. This may be due to the difference in cell metabolism and the occurrence of high pre-existing levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) within cancerous cells. The highest toxicity towards both normal and cancerous cell lines was observed with PEGylated MXenes followed by PPGylated and bare MXenes. The normal cell's viability was barely above 70% threshold with 250 mg/L PEGylated MXene concentration whereas PPGylated and bare MXene were less toxic towards normal cells, even at 500 mg/L concentration. Moreover, the toxicity was found to be directly related to the type of cell lines. In general, the HaCaT cell line exhibited the lowest toxicity while toxicity was highest in the case of the A375 cell line. The photothermal studies revealed high photo response for PEGylated MXene followed by PPGylated and bare MXenes. However, the PPGylated MXene's lower cytotoxicity towards normal cells while comparable toxicity towards malignant cells as compared to PEGylated MXenes makes the former a relatively safe and effective anticancer agent.

Polymerase Chain Reaction in the Detection of miR-455-5p and Sphingosine-1 Phosphate Proteins in Cervical Carcinoma with the Help of Gold Nanoparticles-Based

This study aimed to detect miR-455-5p and S1PR1 proteins using nanoparticle-assisted polymerase chain reaction (nano-PCR) to determine their correlation with cervical carcinoma prognosis. To achieve this study's goals, we selected 48 cervical carcinoma patients between January 2014 to January 2016 and subjected them to the miR-455-5p test by nano-PCR. The collected samples were then divided into two groups based on miR-455-5p levels. We had four HeLa cell groups, one group as the control, and one group overexpressed the miR-455-5p protein. A third group was miR-455-5p silent, and a separate group overexpressed both the miR-455-5p and S1PR1 proteins. Results also proved that the nano-PCR had a higher sensitivity than RT-PCR, and patients with poor prognosis had lesser miR-455-5p levels. Similarly, high levels of miR-455-5 contributed to cancer cell apoptosis and migration inhibition by targeting S1PR1 expression negatively. These two biomarkers are therefore significantly related to the prognosis of cervical carcinoma patients.

Low-Temperature Photothermal Therapy: Strategies and Applications

Although photothermal therapy (PTT) with the assistance of nanotechnology has been considered as an indispensable strategy in the biomedical field, it still encounters some severe problems that need to be solved. Excessive heat can induce treated cells to develop thermal resistance, and thus, the efficacy of PTT may be dramatically decreased. In the meantime, the uncontrollable diffusion of heat can pose a threat to the surrounding healthy tissues. Recently, low-temperature PTT (also known as mild PTT or mild-temperature PTT) has demonstrated its remarkable capacity of conquering these obstacles and has shown excellent performance in bacterial elimination, wound healing, and cancer treatments. Herein, we summarize the recently proposed strategies for achieving low-temperature PTT based on nanomaterials and introduce the synthesis, characteristics, and applications of these nanoplatforms. Additionally, the combination of PTT and other therapeutic modalities for defeating cancers and the synergistic cancer therapeutic effect of the combined treatments are discussed. Finally, the current limitations and future directions are proposed for inspiring more researchers to make contributions to promoting low-temperature PTT toward more successful preclinical and clinical disease treatments.

Gold Nanomaterials as a Promising Integrated Tool for Diagnosis and Treatment of Pathogenic Infections-A Review

This review summarizes research on functionalized gold nanomaterials as pathogen detection sensors and pathogen elimination integrated tools. After presenting the challenge of current severe threat from pathogenic bacteria and the increasingly serious growth rate of drug resistance, the first section mainly introduces the conspectus of gold nanostructures from synthesis, characterization, physicochemical properties and applications of gold nanomaterials. The next section deals with gold nanomaterials-based pathogen detection sensors such as colorimetric sensors, fluorescence sensors and Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering sensors. We then discuss strategies based on gold nanomaterials for eliminating pathogenic infections, such as the dual sterilization strategy for grafting gold nanomaterials with antibacterial substances, photothermal antibacterial and photodynamic antibacterial methods. The fourth part briefly introduces the comprehensive strategy for diagnosis and sterilization of pathogen infection based on gold nanomaterials, such as the diagnosis and treatment strategy for pathogen infection using Roman signals real-time monitoring and photothermal sterilization. A concluding section that summarizes the current status and challenges of the novel diagnosis and treatment integrated strategy for pathogenic infections, gives an outlook on potential future perspectives.

Silencing of cluster determinant 36 transmitted by gold nanoparticles inhibits the occurrence and progression of breast cancer by down-regulating the peroxisome proliferative activated receptor signaling pathway

Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed tumor in women worldwide. Although a range of therapeutic strategies have been developed in recent years, the outcome for patients is often poor. The purpose of this study was to explore the molecular mechanisms of the membrane glycoprotein CD36 in breast cancer. Cells from breast cancer cell lines were transfected with gold nanoparticles protected by liposomes, as gene vectors. Cell counting kit 8 assays were performed to determine cell variability, EdU straining assays were used to evaluate cell proliferation, and colony formation assays were performed to detect cell colony ability. The number of cells involved in migration and invasion was counted using Transwell assays. Lymphangiogenesis formation was assessed using lymphangiogenesis formation assay. Xenograft tumor mice were established, to analyze the effects of CD36. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), western blotting, and immunohistochemistry (IHC) were performed to estimate the expression of genes. Silencing of CD36 inhibited cell variability, proliferation, colony formation, lymphangiogenesis, and repressed cell migration and invasion in vitro. Overexpression of PPAR reversed the effects of the silencing of CD36, and the effects of PPAR upregulation were blocked by PPAR inhibitor. In vivo, tumor growth and lymphangiogenesis and PPAR activation were suppressed by the silencing of CD36. Silencing of CD36 also inhibited the variability, proliferation, colony formation, lymphangiogenesis, migration and invasion of breast cancer cells by suppressing PPAR signaling pathway activation. The CD36 gene was transfected with gold nanoparticles which improved the efficiency of gene transfection. The use of gold nanoparticles provides a new way to study the effects of genes on tumor cells.

Magnetically targeted erythrocyte membrane coated nanosystem for synergistic photothermal/chemotherapy of cancer

Combination photothermal therapy (PTT)/chemotherapy has become an emerging cancer treatment strategy in recent years. However, one of the important challenges in the development of nanomedicines is escaping immune recognition and the phagocytosis by the reticuloendothelial system (RES) to ultimately maximize tumor accumulation. In this work, a cell membrane-coated magnetically targeted drug delivery nanosystem was developed for synergistic PTT/chemotherapy of cancer. Importantly, this nanosystem can cleverly escape identification and clearance from the immune system, effectively prolong the blood circulation time and accurately accumulate in the target tumor tissues. This provides a new strategy to realize extraordinary antitumor effect by a unique design with cell membrane cloaking, magnetic targeting, drug delivery and synergistic PTT/chemotherapy.

Two-Photon Fluorescent Nanomaterials and Their Applications in Biomedicine

In recent years, two-photon excited (TPE) materials have attracted great attentions because of their excellent advantages over conventional one-photon excited (OPE) materials, such as deep tissue penetration, three-dimensional spatial selectivity and low phototoxicity. Also, they have been widely applied in lots of field, such as biosensing, imaging, photo-catalysis, photoelectric conversion, and therapy. In this article, we review recent advances in vibrant topic of two-photon fluorescent nanomaterials, including organic molecules, quantum dots (QDs), carbon dots (CDs) and metal nanoclus-ters (MNCs). The optical properties, synthetic methods and important applications of TPE nanomaterials in biomedical field, such as biosensing, imaging and therapy are introduced. Also, the probable challenges and perspectives in the forthcoming development of two-photon fluorescent nanomaterials are addressed.

Review of a new bone tumor therapy strategy based on bifunctional biomaterials

Bone tumors, especially those in osteosarcoma, usually occur in adolescents. The standard clinical treatment includes chemotherapy, surgical therapy, and radiation therapy. Unfortunately, surgical resection often fails to completely remove the tumor, which is the main cause of postoperative recurrence and metastasis, resulting in a high mortality rate. Moreover, bone tumors often invade large areas of bone, which cannot repair itself, and causes a serious effect on the quality of life of patients. Thus, bone tumor therapy and bone regeneration are challenging in the clinic. Herein, this review presents the recent developments in bifunctional biomaterials to achieve a new strategy for bone tumor therapy. The selected bifunctional materials include 3D-printed scaffolds, nano/microparticle-containing scaffolds, hydrogels, and bone-targeting nanomaterials. Numerous related studies on bifunctional biomaterials combining tumor photothermal therapy with enhanced bone regeneration were reviewed. Finally, a perspective on the future development of biomaterials for tumor therapy and bone tissue engineering is discussed. This review will provide a useful reference for bone tumor-related disease and the field of complex diseases to combine tumor therapy and tissue engineering.

Tumor size-dependent abscopal effect of polydopamine-coated all-in-one nanoparticles for immunochemo-photothermal therapy of early- and late-stage metastatic cancer

Metastatic cancer is a persistent clinical enigma, which requires combination of several treatment modules. Here, we developed an all-in-one nanomedicine strategy to systemically co-deliver photosensitive, chemotherapeutic, and immunomodulating agents for effective immunochemo-photothermal therapy (PTT) to inhibit both primary tumor and distal metastatic tumor. Two types of polydopamine (dp)-coated nanoparticles (NPs) (N/PGEM/dp-5 and N/PGEM/dp-16) co-loaded with gemcitabine (GEM) and NLG919, a potent indoleamine-2, 3-dioxygenase (IDO) inhibitor, were prepared. N/PGEM/dp-16 NPs with a thicker dp coating layer showed higher photothermal conversion ability, more favorable biodistribution profile and better tumor inhibition effect compared to N/PGEM/dp-5 NPs with a thinner coating layer. Combination with laser irradiation further enhanced the tumor inhibition effect of N/PGEM/dp-16 NPs. In an "early metastatic" pancreatic cancer PANC02 model with small distal tumors, introduction of NLG and dp coating improved the inhibition effect on both primary and distal tumors. Compared to N/PGEM/dp-16, N/PGEM/dp-16 plus laser irradiation further enhanced the inhibition effect on primary tumor, but didn't improve the abscopal antitumor effect. When the initial volume of distal tumor was sufficiently large in a "late metastasis" model, a more dramatic abscopal antitumor effect was achieved, resulting in a significant growth inhibition of both primary tumor and the unirradiated distal tumor. Furthermore, laser irradiation can amplify the immunochemo-NPs-mediated innate and adaptive immune responses in both tumors. This work demonstrated a distal tumor-size dependent abscopal effect, and provided a perspective for future design of more effective immunochemo-PTT nano-formulations for early- and late-stage metastatic tumors.

Development, optimization, and evaluation of PEGylated brucine-loaded PLGA nanoparticles

The application of nanotechnology to drug delivery systems for cancer therapy has progressively received great attention. The most heavily investigated approach is the development of nanoparticles (NPs) utilizing biodegradable and biocompatible polymers such as poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA). These NPs could be further improved by surface modification utilizing a hydrophilic biodegradable polymer such as polyethylene glycol (PEG) to achieve passive targeting. Modified NPs can deliver drugs such as brucine (BRU), which has shown its potential in cancer therapy. The objective of the current investigation was to develop and evaluate the passive targeting of long-circulating PLGA NPs loaded with BRU. NPs were characterized in terms of drug-excipient compatibility studies, including FTIR and DSC; physicochemical evaluations including particle size, zeta potential, morphological evaluation, entrapment efficiency and percentage yield; total serum protein adsorbed onto NP surfaces; and in vitro release of the loaded drug. Factorial design was employed to attain optimal PLGA-loaded NPs. Finally, the in vivo anti-tumor activity of BRU-loaded PLGA NPs was evaluated in tumor-bearing mice. The NPs obtained had smooth surfaces with particle sizes ranged from 94 ± 3.05 to 253 ± 8.7 nm with slightly positive surface charge ranged from 1.09 ± 0.15 to 3.71 ± 0.44 mV. Entrapment of BRU ranged between 37.5 ± 1.8% and 77 ± 1.3% with yields not less than 70.8%. Total protein adsorbed was less than 25.5 µg total protein/1 mg NP. In vitro drug release was less than 99.1% at 168 h. Finally, significant reductions in tumor growth rate and mortality rate were observed for PEG PLGA NP formulations compared to both BRU solution and naked NPs.

Dual drug-paired polyprodrug nanotheranostics reverse multidrug resistant cancers via mild photothermal-cocktail chemotherapy

Combating multidrug resistance (MDR) of tumors is still challenging for clinical chemotherapy, cocktail chemotherapy (CCT), and currently widely-studied nanodrug-based treatments. Inspired by different MDR-overcoming and antitumor mechanisms of CCT and photothermal therapy (PT), a dual drug-paired polyprodrug nanoparticle (PDCN25-CDDP) was constructed to achieve the combination therapy PT-CCT for reversing MDR and combating multidrug resistant cancers. The PT-CCT treatment can greatly downregulate the P-gp expression level and achieve utmost MDR-reversal and antitumor efficacy by both a cocktail effect of CCT and a synergistic effect of CCT with PT; meanwhile, PT can inhibit the expression of heat shock protein 90 and enhance the thermosensitivity of cancer cells. Upon NIR irradiation, PDCN25-CDDPin vivo produced a selective tumor accumulation effect and relatively deep tumor penetration, as evidenced by fluorescent and photoacoustic imaging and CLSM. The mild PT-CCT treatment completely eradicated MCF-7/ADR and OVCAR-3/DDP tumors without skin damage or tumor recurrence for 30 days, exhibiting synergistic MDR-reversal and superior antitumor efficacy in vivo. Importantly, this work provides an innovative strategy for reversing MDR and combating DOX-resistant breast and CDDP-resistant ovarian cancers.

Nanomedicine-based tumor photothermal therapy synergized immunotherapy

The emerging anti-tumor immunotherapy has made significant progress in clinical application. However, single immunotherapy is not effective for all anti-tumor treatments, owing to the low objective response rate and the risk of immune-related side effects. Meanwhile, photothermal therapy (PTT) has attracted significant attention because of its non-invasiveness, spatiotemporal controllability and small side effects. Combining PTT with immunotherapy overcomes the issue that single photothermal therapy cannot eradicate tumors with metastasis and recurrence. However, it improves the therapeutic effect of immunotherapy, as the photothermal therapy usually promotes release of tumor-related antigens, triggers immune response by the immunogenic cell death (ICD), thereby, endowing unique synergistic mechanisms for cancer therapy. This review summarizes recent research advances in utilizing nanomedicines for PTT in combination with immunotherapy to improve the outcome of cancer treatment. The strategies include immunogenic cell death, immune agonists and cancer vaccines, immune checkpoint blockades and tumor specific monoclonal antibodies, and small-molecule immune inhibitors. The combination of synergized PTT-immunotherapy with other therapeutic strategies is also discussed.

Near-infrared responsive 5-fluorouracil and indocyanine green loaded MPEG-PCL nanoparticle integrated with dissolvable microneedle for skin cancer therapy

The prevalence of skin cancer is rising along with the rapid population aging in recent years. Traditional therapies, such as surgical treatment, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, photodynamic therapy, and immunotherapy, may accompany serious side effects, limiting their clinical benefits. According to the biological characteristics of skin cancer, we have already established two kinds of synergetic systems of photothermal therapy (microneedle) and chemotherapy, containing gold nanorods (GNR). Although the microneedle system exhibited great potential for skin cancer treatment, the system could be still improved further. So, we designed a near-infrared light-responsive 5-fluorouracil (5-Fu) and indocyanine green (ICG) loaded monomethoxy-poly (ethylene glycol)-polycaprolactone (MPEG-PCL) nanoparticle (5-Fu-ICG-MPEG-PCL), and then 5-Fu-ICG-MPEG-PCL was integrated with a hyaluronic acid dissolvable microneedle system (HA MN) to get 5-Fu-ICG-MPEG-PCL loaded HA MN for treating skin cancers, including human epidermoid cancer and melanoma. In this system, hyaluronic acid, the microneedle carrier, possesses good skin penetration ability and is approved by FDA as a pharmaceutical adjuvant; 5-Fu is recommended by FDA for skin cancer treatment; ICG, a photothermal agent, possesses a strong photothermal ability and is approved by FDA for its use in the human body. We hypothesized that 5-Fu-ICG-MPEG-PCL could be delivered by the dissolvable microneedle through the skin, and the release behavior of the drug in the nanoparticle could be controlled by near-infrared light for achieving a single-dose cure of skin cancer, improving the cure rate of skin cancer and providing a new idea and possibility for the clinical treatment of skin cancer.

Extract Derived From Black Rice Functions as a Photothermal Agent for Suppressing Tumor Growth and Metastasis

It remains a challenge to develop an effective therapeutic agent with low cost and good biocompatibility for cancer therapy. Based on its dark color, we hypothesized that, the extraction from black rice grains, denoted BRE, could serve as a photothermal conversion agent. The results showed that BRE confers a high photothermal conversion efficiency up to 54.13%. The combination of BRE and near infrared (NIR) treatment enables effective photothermal tumor ablation, and suppress tumor metastasis via inhibiting the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) pathway. In addition, BRE exhibits no obvious toxicity in vivo. Therefore, BRE could serve as a promising photothermal therapy agent with a low toxicity to treat cancer.

Persistent luminescence-polypyrrole nanocomposite for dual-modal imaging and photothermal therapy of mammary cancer

Multifunctional nanocomposites that possess imaging and high-performance therapeutic features are experiencing a surge in interest in the precision clinical anticancer treatment. In this work, we reported the fabrication and bio-application of a novel persistent luminescence-polypyrrole nanocomposite (LPLNP@SPP) for photoacoustic/persistent luminescence (PA/PL) dual-modal imaging guided photothermal therapy (PTT). The construction of LPLNP@SPP avoids the PL quenching of LPLNP-OH by the polypyrrole-coating, and thus enables the combination of PL and PTT. The LPLNP@SPP shows excellent biocompatibility, long lasting near-infrared (NIR) PL emitting without in situ excitation and high-contrast PA signals. Meanwhile, this nanocomposite exhibits strong NIR absorbance and exceptional photothermal conversion capability, which provides notable potential for imaging-guided antitumor therapy. Thus, our work highlights the dual-functional core-shell LPLNP@SPP as a feasible theranostic nanoplatform for cancer diagnosis and therapy.

A thermosensitive nanoplatform for photoacoustic imaging and NIR light triggered chemo-photothermal therapy

A thermosensitive nanoplatform CDTSL achieves NIR light controlled drug release and can be applied for photoacoustic imaging and chemo-photothermal therapy.

Boronic acid-engineered gold nanoparticles for cytosolic protein delivery

Boronic acid-engineered gold nanoparticles for effective cytosolic protein delivery with the help of hypertonicity.

Intelligent protein-coated bismuth sulfide and manganese oxide nanocomposites obtained by biomineralization for multimodal imaging-guided enhanced tumor therapy

Radiotherapy (RT) has been used clinically to overcome cancer in recent decades. However, the abnormal tumor microenvironment (TME), involving hypoxia, acidosis and a dense extracellular matrix, is found to be related to the resistance of tumors to RT. Herein, intelligent bovine serum albumin (BSA)-coated Bi₂S₃ and MnO₂ (Bi₂S₃-MnO₂) nanocomposites synthesized via biomineralization are capable of modulating the hypoxic TME effectively to enhance the efficacy of RT. After intravenous injection, the BSA-Bi₂S₃-MnO₂ nanocomposites show efficient accumulation in tumors, where endogenous H₂O₂ can react with MnO₂ to generate oxygen in situ, leading to increased tumor oxygenation to overcome the hypoxia-associated resistance to RT. Moreover, the photothermal effect induced by the BSA-Bi₂S₃-MnO₂ nanocomposites further relieves hypoxia in the TME and, finally, synergistically improves the effects of RT. In this work, we present a simple strategy to fabricate intelligent therapeutic nanoparticles to improve therapeutic efficiency towards cervical cancer.

Inorganic nanomaterials for chemo/photothermal therapy: a promising horizon on effective cancer treatment

During the last few decades, nanotechnology has established many essential applications in the biomedical field and in particular for cancer therapy. Not only can nanodelivery systems address the shortcomings of conventional chemotherapy such as limited stability, non-specific biodistribution and targeting, poor water solubility, low therapeutic indices, and severe toxic side effects, but some of them can also provide simultaneous combination of therapies and diagnostics. Among the various therapies, the combination of chemo- and photothermal therapy (CT-PTT) has demonstrated synergistic therapeutic efficacies with minimal side effects in several preclinical studies. In this regard, inorganic nanostructures have been of special interest for CT-PTT, owing to their high thermal conversion efficiency, application in bio-imaging, versatility, and ease of synthesis and surface modification. In addition to being used as the first type of CT-PTT agents, they also include the most novel CT-PTT systems as the potentials of new inorganic nanomaterials are being more and more discovered. Considering the variety of inorganic nanostructures introduced for CT-PTT applications, enormous effort is needed to perform translational research on the most promising nanomaterials and to comprehensively evaluate the potentials of newly introduced ones in preclinical studies. This review provides an overview of most novel strategies used to employ inorganic nanostructures for cancer CT-PTT as well as cancer imaging and discusses current challenges and future perspectives in this area.