Near-infrared light and tumor microenvironment dual responsive size-switchable nanocapsules for multimodal tumor theranostics

Polyvalent Aptamer-Functionalized NIR-II Quantum Dots for Targeted Theranostics in High PD-L1-Expressing Tumors

Ag2S quantum dots (QDs) show superior optical properties in the NIR-II region and display significant clinical potential with favorable biocompatibility. However, inherent defects of low targeting and poor solubility necessitate practical modification methods to achieve the theranostics of Ag2S QDs. Herein, we used rolling circle amplification (RCA) techniques to obtain long single-stranded DNA containing the PD-L1 aptamer and C-rich DNA palindromic sequence. The C-rich DNA palindromic sequences can specifically chelate Ag2+ and thus serve as a template to result in biomimetic mineralization and formation of pApt-Ag2S QDs. These QDs enable specific targeting and illuminate hot tumors with high PD-L1 expression effectively, serving as excellent molecular targeted probes. In addition, due to the high NIR-II absorption of Ag2S QDs, pApt-Ag2S QDs exhibit remarkable photothermal properties. And besides, polyvalent PD-L1 aptamers can recognize PD-L1 protein and effectively block the inhibitory signal of PD-L1 on T cells, enabling efficient theranostics through the synergistic effect of photothermal therapy and immune checkpoint blocking therapy. Summary, we enhance the biological stability and antibleaching ability of Ag2S QDs using long single-stranded DNA as a template, thereby establishing a theranostic platform that specifically targets PD-L1 high-expressing inflamed tumors and demonstrates excellent performance both in vitro and in vivo.

Peptide-based non-viral gene delivery: A comprehensive review of the advances and challenges

Gene therapy is the most effective treatment option for diseases, but its effectiveness is affected by the choice and design of gene carriers. The genes themselves have to pass through multiple barriers in order to enter the cell and therefore require additional vectors to carry them inside the cell. In gene therapy, peptides have unique properties and potential as gene carriers, which can effectively deliver genes into specific cells or tissues, protect genes from degradation, improve gene transfection efficiency, and enhance gene targeting and biological responsiveness. This paper reviews the research progress of peptides and their derivatives in the field of gene delivery recently, describes the obstacles encountered by foreign materials to enter the interior of the cell, and introduces the following classes of functional peptides that can carry materials into the interior of the cell, and assist in transmembrane translocation of carriers, thus breaking through endosomal traps to enable successful entry of genetic materials into the nucleus of the cell. The paper also discusses the combined application of peptide vectors with other vectors to enhance its transfection ability, explores current challenges encountered by peptide vectors, and looks forward to future developments in the field.

Intelligent Size-Switchable Iron Carbide-Based Nanocapsules with Cascade Delivery Capacity for Hyperthermia-Enhanced Deep Tumor Ferroptosis

The ferroptosis pathway is recognized as an essential strategy for tumor treatment. However, killing tumor cells in deep tumor regions with ferroptosis agents is still challenging because of distinct size requirements for intratumoral accumulation and deep tumor penetration. Herein, intelligent nanocapsules with size-switchable capability that responds to acid/hyperthermia stimulation to achieve deep tumor ferroptosis are developed. These nanocapsules are constructed using poly(lactic-co-glycolic) acid and Pluronic F127 as carrier materials, with Au-Fe2 C Janus nanoparticles serving as photothermal and ferroptosis agents, and sorafenib (SRF) as the ferroptosis enhancer. The PFP@Au-Fe2 C-SRF nanocapsules, designed with an appropriate size, exhibit superior intratumoral accumulation compared to free Au-Fe2 C nanoparticles, as evidenced by photoacoustic and magnetic resonance imaging. These nanocapsules can degrade within the acidic tumor microenvironment when subjected to laser irradiation, releasing free Au-Fe2 C nanoparticles. This enables them to penetrate deep into tumor regions and disrupt intracellular redox balance. Under the guidance of imaging, these PFP@Au-Fe2 C-SRF nanocapsules effectively inhibit tumor growth when exposed to laser irradiation, capitalizing on the synergistic photothermal and ferroptosis effects. This study presents an intelligent formulation based on iron carbide for achieving deep tumor ferroptosis through size-switchable cascade delivery, thereby advancing the comprehension of ferroptosis in the context of tumor theranostics.

New Types of Magnetic Nanoparticles for Stimuli-Responsive Theranostic Nanoplatforms

Magnetic nanomaterials have played a crucial role in promoting the application of nanotechnology in the biomedical field. Although conventional magnetic nanomaterials such as iron oxide nanoparticles (NPs) are used as biosensors, drug delivery vehicles, diagnostic and treatment agents for several diseases, the persistent pursuit of high-performance technologies has prompted researchers to continuously develop new types of magnetic nanomaterials such as iron carbide NPs. Considering their potential application in biomedicine, magnetic NPs responsive to exogenous or endogenous stimuli are developed, thereby enhancing their applicability in more complex versatile scenarios. In this review, the synthesis and surface modification of magnetic NPs are focused, particularly iron carbide NPs. Subsequently, exogenous and endogenous stimuli-responsive magnetic NP-based theranostic platforms are introduced, particularly focusing on nanozyme-based technologies and magnetic NP-mediated immunotherapy, which are emerging stimuli-responsive treatments. Finally, the challenges and perspectives of magnetic NPs to accelerate future research in this field are discussed.

One-Pot Synthesis of Tumor-Microenvironment Responsive Degradable Nanoflower-Medicine for Multimodal Cancer Therapy with Reinvigorating Antitumor Immunity

Multimodal cancer therapies show great promise in synergistically enhancing anticancer efficacy through different mechanisms. However, most current multimodal therapies either rely on complex assemblies of multiple functional nanomaterials and drug molecules or involve the use of nanomedicines with poor in vivo degradability/metabolizability, thus restricting their clinical translatability. Herein, a nanoflower-medicine using iron ions, thioguanine (TG), and tetracarboxylic porphyrin (TCPP) are synthesized as building blocks through a one-step hydrothermal method for combined chemo/chemodynamic/photodynamic cancer therapy. The resulting nanoflowers, consisting of low-density Fe2 O3 core and iron complex (Fe-TG and Fe-TCPP compounds) shell, exhibit high accumulation at the tumor site, desirable degradability in the tumor microenvironment (TME), robust suppression of tumor growth and metastasis, as well as effective reinvigoration of host antitumor immunity. Triggered by the low pH in tumor microenvironment, the nanoflowers gradually degrade after internalization, contributing to the effective drug release and initiation of high-efficiency catalytic reactions precisely in tumor sites. Moreover, iron ions can be eliminated from the body through renal clearance after fulfilling their mission. Strikingly, it is also found that the multimodal synergistic therapy effectively elicits the host antitumor immunity without inducing additional toxicity. This easy-manufactured and degradable multimodal therapeutic nanomedicine is promising for clinical precision oncology.

On-Demand Opioid Effect Reversal with an Injectable Light-Triggered Polymer-Naloxone Conjugate

Misuse of opioids can lead to a potential lethal overdose. Timely administration of naloxone is critical for survival. Here, we designed a polymer-naloxone conjugate that can provide on-demand phototriggered opioid reversal. Naloxone was attached to the polymer poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) via a photocleavable coumarin linkage and formulated as injectable nanoparticles. In the absence of irradiation, the formulation did not release naloxone. Upon irradiation with blue (400 nm) light, the nanoparticles released free naloxone, reversing the effect of morphine in mice. Such triggered events could be performed days and weeks after the initial administration of the nanoparticles and could be performed repeatedly.

EXSCLAIM!: Harnessing materials science literature for self-labeled microscopy datasets

This work introduces the EXSCLAIM! toolkit for the automatic extraction, separation, and caption-based natural language annotation of images from scientific literature. EXSCLAIM! is used to show how rule-based natural language processing and image recognition can be leveraged to construct an electron microscopy dataset containing thousands of keyword-annotated nanostructure images. Moreover, it is demonstrated how a combination of statistical topic modeling and semantic word similarity comparisons can be used to increase the number and variety of keyword annotations on top of the standard annotations from EXSCLAIM! With large-scale imaging datasets constructed from scientific literature, users are well positioned to train neural networks for classification and recognition tasks specific to microscopy-tasks often otherwise inhibited by a lack of sufficient annotated training data.

Hydrophobicity-Adaptive Polymers Trigger Fission of Tumor-Cell-Derived Microparticles for Enhanced Anticancer Drug Delivery

Tumor-cell-derived microparticles (MPs) can function as anticancer drug-delivery carriers. However, short blood circulation time, large-size-induced insufficient tumor accumulation and penetration into tumor parenchyma, as well as limited cellular internalization by tumor cells and cancer stem cells (CSCs), and difficult intracellular drug release restrict the anticancer activity of tumor-cell-derived MP-based drug-delivery systems. In this work, hydrophobicity-adaptive polymers based on poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) are anchored to tumor-cell-derived MPs for enhanced delivery of the anticancer drug doxorubicin (DOX). The polymers are hydrophilic in blood to prolong the circulation time of DOX-loaded MPs (DOX@MPs), while rapidly switching to hydrophobic at the tumor acidic microenvironment. The hydrophobicity of polymers drives the fission of tumor-cell-derived MPs to form small vesicles, facilitating tumor accumulation, deep tumor penetration, and efficient internalization of DOX@MPs into tumor cells and CSCs. Subsequently, the hydrophobicity of polymers in acidic lysosomes further promotes DOX release to nuclei for strong cytotoxicity against tumor cells and CSCs. The work provides a facile and simple strategy for improved anticancer drug delivery of tumor-cell-derived MPs.

Application of Nanoparticles in Cancer Treatment: A Concise Review

Timely diagnosis and appropriate antitumoral treatments remain of utmost importance, since cancer remains a leading cause of death worldwide. Within this context, nanotechnology offers specific benefits in terms of cancer therapy by reducing its adverse effects and guiding drugs to selectively target cancer cells. In this comprehensive review, we have summarized the most relevant novel outcomes in the range of 2010-2023, covering the design and application of nanosystems for cancer therapy. We have established the general requirements for nanoparticles to be used in drug delivery and strategies for their uptake in tumor microenvironment and vasculature, including the reticuloendothelial system uptake and surface functionalization with protein corona. After a brief review of the classes of nanovectors, we have covered different classes of nanoparticles used in cancer therapies. First, the advances in the encapsulation of drugs (such as paclitaxel and fisetin) into nanoliposomes and nanoemulsions are described, as well as their relevance in current clinical trials. Then, polymeric nanoparticles are presented, namely the ones comprising poly lactic-co-glycolic acid, polyethylene glycol (and PEG dilemma) and dendrimers. The relevance of quantum dots in bioimaging is also covered, namely the systems with zinc sulfide and indium phosphide. Afterwards, we have reviewed gold nanoparticles (spheres and anisotropic) and their application in plasmon-induced photothermal therapy. The clinical relevance of iron oxide nanoparticles, such as magnetite and maghemite, has been analyzed in different fields, namely for magnetic resonance imaging, immunotherapy, hyperthermia, and drug delivery. Lastly, we have covered the recent advances in the systems using carbon nanomaterials, namely graphene oxide, carbon nanotubes, fullerenes, and carbon dots. Finally, we have compared the strategies of passive and active targeting of nanoparticles and their relevance in cancer theranostics. This review aims to be a (nano)mark on the ongoing journey towards realizing the remarkable potential of different nanoparticles in the realm of cancer therapeutics.

Emergence of magnetic nanoparticles in photothermal and ferroptotic therapies

With their distinctive physicochemical features, nanoparticles have gained recognition as effective multifunctional tools for biomedical applications, with designs and compositions tailored for specific uses. Notably, magnetic nanoparticles stand out as first-in-class examples of multiple modalities provided by the iron-based composition. They have long been exploited as contrast agents for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or as anti-cancer agents generating therapeutic hyperthermia through high-frequency magnetic field application, known as magnetic hyperthermia (MHT). This review focuses on two more recent applications in oncology using iron-based nanomaterials: photothermal therapy (PTT) and ferroptosis. In PTT, the iron oxide core responds to a near-infrared (NIR) excitation and generates heat in its surrounding area, rivaling the efficiency of plasmonic gold-standard nanoparticles. This opens up the possibility of a dual MHT + PTT approach using a single nanomaterial. Moreover, the iron composition of magnetic nanoparticles can be harnessed as a chemotherapeutic asset. Degradation in the intracellular environment triggers the release of iron ions, which can stimulate the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and induce cancer cell death through ferroptosis. Consequently, this review emphasizes these emerging physical and chemical approaches for anti-cancer therapy facilitated by magnetic nanoparticles, combining all-in-one functionalities.

Design and Mechanism Insight of Monodispersed AuCuPt Alloy Nanozyme with Antitumor Activity

The abrogation of the self-adaptive redox evolution of tumors is promising for improving therapeutic outcomes. In this study, we designed a trimetallic alloy nanozyme AuCuPt-PpIX (ACPP), which mimics up to five naturally occurring enzymes: glucose oxidase (GOD), superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), catalase (CAT), and glutathione peroxidase (GPx). Facilitated by these enzyme-mimicking traits, the constructed ACPP nanozymes can not only disrupt the established redox homeostasis in tumors through a series of enzymatic cascade reactions but also achieve cyclic regeneration of the relevant enzyme substrates. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations have theoretically explained the synergistic effect of multimetallic doping and the possible mechanism of enzymatic catalysis. The doped Cu and Pt sites are conducive to the adsorption, activation, and dissociation of reactant molecules, whereas the Au sites are conducive to desorption, which significantly improves catalytic efficiency via a synergistic effect. Additionally, ACPP nanozymes can improve the effect of protoporphyrin (PpIX)-enabled sonodynamic therapy (SDT) by alleviating hypoxia and initiating ferroptosis by inducing lipid peroxidation (LPO) and inhibiting GPX4 activity, thus achieving multimodal synergistic therapy. This study presents a typical paradigm to enable the use of multimetallic alloy nanozymes for the treatment of tumor cells with self-adaptive properties.

"Reaction"-Like Shaping of Self-Delivery Supramolecular Nanodrugs in the Nanoprecipitation Process

Nanoprecipitation, which is achieved through the diffusion and precipitation of drug molecules in blended solvent and antisolvent phases, is a classic route for constructing nanodrugs (NDs) and previously directed by diffusion-controlled theory. However, the diffusion-controlled mechanism is out of date in the recent preparation of self-delivery supramolecular NDs (SDSNDs), characterized by the construction of drug nanoparticles through supramolecular interactions in the absence of carriers and surfactants. Herein, a "reaction"-like complement, contributed from supramolecular interactions, is proposed for the preparation of naphthoquinone SDSNDs. Different from the diffusion-controlled process, the formation rate of SDSNDs via the "reaction"-like process is almost constant and highly dependent on the supramolecular interaction-determined Gibbs free energy of molecular binding. Thus, the formation rate and drug availability of SDSNDs are greatly improved by engineering the supramolecular interactions, which facilitates the preparation of SDSNDs with expected sizes, components, and therapeutic functions. As a deep understanding of supramolecular-interaction-involved nanoprecipitation, the current "reaction"-like protocol not only provides a theoretical supplement for classic nanoprecipitation but also highlights the potential of nanoprecipitation in shaping self-assembled, coassembled, and metal-ion-associated SDSNDs.

Intelligent Responsive Nanoparticles with Multilevel Triggered Drug Penetration for Tumor Photochemotherapy

Nanomedicines have contradictory size requirements to overcome systemic barriers and penetrate the tumor extracellular matrix (ECM). Larger-sized nanoparticles (50-200 nm) exhibit prolonged blood circulation half-life and improved tumor enrichment, while small-sized nanoparticles (4-20 nm) easily penetrate deep tumor tissues. Therefore, the development of intelligent responsive nanomedicine systems can not only increase nanodrug tumor accumulation but also improve their penetration into the ECM. Herein, we propose an intelligent responsive nanoparticle triggered by near-infrared light (NIR). The nanoparticle was constructed by a temperature-sensitive liposome (TSL) encapsulating ultrasmall melanin nanoparticles (MNPs) loaded with doxorubicin (MNP/doxorubicin (DOX)@TSL). When exposed to NIR irradiation, the tailor-made nanoparticles not only effectively ablated the tumor cells around blood vessels but also destroyed the structural integrity and released loaded ultrasmall MNP/DOX (<10 nm) to promote deep tumor penetration and enhance interior tumor cell killing. This NIR-triggered intelligent nanoparticle successfully integrated photothermal therapy (PTT) for perivascular tumor cells and chemotherapy for deep tumor cell inhibition. The in vivo results showed remarkable tumor regression in 4T1 breast tumor-bearing mice by 74.2%. This controllable size switchable nanosystem with efficient tumor accumulation and penetration has shown great potential in improving synergistic antitumor effects of photochemotherapy.

Intelligent gold nanoparticles for malignant tumor treatment via spontaneous copper manipulation and on-demand photothermal therapy based on copper induced click chemistry

The excessive copper in tumor cells is crucial for the growth and metastasis of malignant tumor. Herein, we fabricated a nanohybrid to capture, convert and utilize the overexpressed copper in tumor cells, which was expected to achieve copper dependent photothermal damage of primary tumor and copper-deficiency induced metastasis inhibition, generating accurate and effective tumor treatment. The nanohybrid consistsed of 3-azidopropylamine, 4-ethynylaniline and N-aminoethyl-N'-benzoylthiourea (BTU) co-modified gold nanoparticles (AuNPs). During therapy, the BTU segment would specifically chelate with copper in tumor cells after endocytosis to reduce the intracellular copper content, causing copper-deficiency to inhibit the vascularization and tumor migration. Meanwhile, the copper was also rapidly converted to be cuprous by BTU, which further catalyzed the click reaction between azido and alkynyl on the surface of AuNPs, resulting in on-demand aggregation of these AuNPs. This process not only in situ generated the photothermal agent in tumor cells to achieve accurate therapy avoiding unexpected damage, but also enhanced its retention time for sustained photothermal therapy. Both in vitro and in vivo results exhibited the strong tumor inhibition and high survival rate of tumor-bearing mice after application of our nanohybrid, indicating that this synergistic therapy could offer a promising approach for malignant tumor treatment. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: The distinctive excessive copper in tumor cells is crucial for the growth and metastasis of tumor. Therefore, we fabricated intelligent gold nanoparticles to simultaneously response and reverse this tumorigenic physiological microenvironment for the synergistic therapy of malignant tumor. In this study, for the first time we converted and utilized the overexpressed Cu2+ in tumor cells to trigger intracellular click chemistry for tumor-specific photothermal therapy, resulting in accurate damage of primary tumor. Moreover, we effectively manipulated the content of Cu2+ in tumor cells to suppress the migration and vascularization of malignant tumor, resulting in effective metastasis inhibition.

NIR/pH-triggered aptamer-functionalized DNA origami nanovehicle for imaging-guided chemo-phototherapy

Targeted chemo-phototherapy has received widespread attention in cancer treatment for its advantages in reducing the side effects of chemotherapeutics and improving therapeutic effects. However, safe and efficient targeted-delivery of therapeutic agents remains a major obstacle. Herein, we successfully constructed an AS1411-functionalized triangle DNA origami (TOA) to codeliver chemotherapeutic drug (doxorubicin, DOX) and a photosensitizer (indocyanine green, ICG), denoted as TOADI (DOX/ICG-loaded TOA), for targeted synergistic chemo-phototherapy. In vitro studies show that AS1411 as an aptamer of nucleolin efficiently enhances the nanocarrier's endocytosis more than 3 times by tumor cells highly expressing nucleolin. Subsequently, TOADI controllably releases the DOX into the nucleus through the photothermal effect of ICG triggered by near-infrared (NIR) laser irradiation, and the acidic environment of lysosomes/endosomes facilitates the release. The downregulated Bcl-2 and upregulated Bax, Cyt c, and cleaved caspase-3 indicate that the synergistic chemo-phototherapeutic effect of TOADI induces the apoptosis of 4T1 cells, causing ~ 80% cell death. In 4T1 tumor-bearing mice, TOADI exhibits 2.5-fold targeted accumulation in tumor region than TODI without AS1411, and 4-fold higher than free ICG, demonstrating its excellent tumor targeting ability in vivo. With the synergetic treatment of DOX and ICG, TOADI shows a significant therapeutic effect of ~ 90% inhibition of tumor growth with negligible systemic toxicity. In addition, TOADI presents outstanding superiority in fluorescence and photothermal imaging. Taken together, this multifunctional DNA origami-based nanosystem with the advantages of specific tumor targeting and controllable drug release provides a new strategy for enhanced cancer therapy.

Self-Propelled Janus Nanocatalytic Robots Guided by Magnetic Resonance Imaging for Enhanced Tumor Penetration and Therapy

Biomedical micro/nanorobots as active delivery systems with the features of self-propulsion and controllable navigation have made tremendous progress in disease therapy and diagnosis, detection, and biodetoxification. However, existing micro/nanorobots are still suffering from complex drug loading, physiological drug stability, and uncontrollable drug release. To solve these problems, micro/nanorobots and nanocatalytic medicine as two independent research fields were integrated in this study to achieve self-propulsion-induced deeper tumor penetration and catalytic reaction-initiated tumor therapy in vivo. We presented self-propelled Janus nanocatalytic robots (JNCRs) guided by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for in vivo enhanced tumor therapy. These JNCRs exhibited active movement in H₂O₂ solution, and their migration in the tumor tissue could be tracked by non-invasive MRI in real time. Both increased temperature and reactive oxygen species production were induced by near-infrared light irradiation and iron-mediated Fenton reaction, showing great potential for tumor photothermal and chemodynamic therapy. In comparison with passive nanoparticles, these self-propelled JNCRs enabled deeper tumor penetration and enhanced tumor therapy after intratumoral injection. Importantly, these robots with biocompatible components and byproducts exhibited biosecurity in the mouse model. It is expected that our work could promote the combination of micro/nanorobots and nanocatalytic medicine, resulting in improved tumor therapy and potential clinical transformations.

Dual-Cascade Activatable Nanopotentiators Reshaping Adenosine Metabolism for Sono-Chemodynamic-Immunotherapy of Deep Tumors

Immunotherapy is an attractive treatment strategy for cancer, while its efficiency and safety need to be improved. A dual-cascade activatable nanopotentiator for sonodynamic therapy (SDT) and chemodynamic therapy (CDT)-cooperated immunotherapy of deep tumors via reshaping adenosine metabolism is herein reported. This nanopotentiator (NP_MCA ) is constructed through crosslinking adenosine deaminase (ADA) with chlorin e6 (Ce6)-conjugated manganese dioxide (MnO₂ ) nanoparticles via a reactive oxygen species (ROS)-cleavable linker. In the tumor microenvironment with ultrasound (US) irradiation, NP_MCA mediates CDT and SDT concurrently in deep tumors covered with 2-cm tissues to produce abundant ROS, which results in dual-cascade scissoring of ROS-cleavable linkers to activate ADA within NC_MCA to block adenosine metabolism. Moreover, immunogenic cell death (ICD) of dying tumor cells and upregulation of the stimulator of interferon genes (STING) is triggered by the generated ROS and Mn²⁺ from NP_MCA , respectively, leading to activation of antitumor immune response. The potency of immune response is further reinforced by reducing the accumulation of adenosine in tumor microenvironment by the activated ADA. As a result, NP_MCA enables CDT and SDT-cooperated immunotherapy, showing an obviously improved therapeutic efficacy to inhibit the growths of bilateral tumors, in which the primary tumors are covered with 2-cm tissues.

A mesoporous MnO2-based nanoplatform with near infrared light-controlled nitric oxide delivery and tumor microenvironment modulation for enhanced antitumor therapy

A hollow mesoporous manganese dioxide-based (H-MnO₂) multifunctional nanoplatform, H-MnO₂ @AFIPB@PDA@Ru-NO@FA (MAPRF NPs), was prepared for synergistic cancer treatment, in which a histone deacetylase inhibitor AFIPB was loaded in its hollow cavity and a ruthenium nitrosyl donor (Ru-NO) and a folic acid (FA) targeting group were covalently decorated on its covered polydopamine (PDA) layer. The MAPRF NPs showed tumor microenvironment (TME)-responsive properties of depletion of glutathione (GSH) to disrupt the antioxidant defense system and on-demand drug delivery. And the released Mn²⁺ further catalyzed the decomposition of endogenous H₂O₂ to produce highly toxic hydroxyl radicals (·OH) for enhanced chemodynamic therapy (CDT). Furthermore, upon 808 nm light irradiation MAPRF NPs exhibited controlled nitric oxide (NO) delivery and simultaneously produced significant photothermal effect. Consequently, MAPRF NPs showed high mortality toward cancer cells in the presence of 808 nm light irradiation. This work provides a paradigm of multimodal synergistic therapy that combines NO-based gas therapy with TME modulation for efficient antitumor therapy.

Organic Photothermal Cocrystals: Rational Design, Controlled Synthesis, and Advanced Application

Organic photothermal cocrystals, integrating the advantages of intrinsic organic cocrystals and the fascinating photothermal conversion ability, hold attracted considerable interest in both basic science and practical applications, involving photoacoustic imaging, seawater desalination, and photothermal therapy, and so on. However, these organic photothermal cocrystals currently suffer individual cases discovered step by step, as well as the deep and systemic investigation in the corresponding photothermal conversion mechanisms is rarely carried out, suggesting a huge challenge for their further developments. Therefore, it is urgently necessary to investigate and explore the rational design and synthesis of high-performance organic photothermal cocrystals for future applications. This review first and systematically summarizes the organic photothermal cocrystal in terms of molecular classification, the photothermal conversion mechanism, and their corresponding applications. The timely interpretation of the cocrystal photothermal effect will provide broad prospects for the purposeful fabrication of excellent organic photothermal cocrystals toward great efficiency, low cost, and multifunctionality.

Reaching new lights: a review on photo-controlled nanomedicines and their in vivo evaluation

The selective and efficient delivery of bioactive molecules to sites of interest remains a formidable challenge in medicine. In recent years, it has been shown that stimuli-responsive drug delivery systems display several advantages over traditional drug administration such as an improved pharmacokinetic profile and the desirable ability to gain control over release. Light emerged as one of the most powerful stimuli due to its high biocompatibility, spatio-temporal control, and non-invasiveness. On the road to clinical translation, various chemical systems of high complexity have been reported with the aim to improve efficacy, safety, and versatility of drug delivery under complex biological conditions. For future research on the chemical design of such photo-controlled nanomedicines, it is essential to gain an understanding of their in vivo translation and efficiency. Here, we discuss photo-controlled nanomedicines that have been evaluated in vivo and provide an overview of the state-of-the-art that should guide future research design.

MOF-Immobilized Two-in-One Engineered Enzymes Enhancing Activity of Biocatalytic Cascade for Tumor Therapy

Biocatalytic systems based on enzyme cascade reactions have attracted growing interest in the field of biocatalytic medicine. However, it is a major challenge to reasonably construct enzyme cascade reactions with high stability, selectivity, and catalytic efficiency for the in vivo biocatalytic application. Herein, two-in-one engineered glucose oxidase (GOx-Fe⁰ ) is fabricated by a biomineralization strategy, through which a nanozyme (Fe⁰ NP) is anchored within the inner cavity of GOx. Then, GOx-Fe⁰ is immobilized in a pH-sensitive metal-organic framework (MOF) zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (ZIF-8) to establish a stable and effective MOF-immobilized two-in-one engineered enzyme, GOx-Fe⁰ @ZIF-8. In vitro studies show that GOx-Fe⁰ @ZIF-8 exhibits excellent stability and high pH/glucose selectivity, and the shorter spacing between cascade enzymes can increase the cascade throughput and effectively improve the reaction efficiency of the enzyme cascade. In vivo experiments exhibit that GOx-Fe⁰ @ZIF-8 solves the instability and systemic toxicity of free enzymes, and achieves deep tumor penetration and significant chemodynamic therapeutic efficacy through a pH/glucose-selective enzyme cascade reaction in tumor site. Taken together, such an orchestrated enzyme engineering strategy can effectively improve enzyme stability, selectivity, and enzyme cascade reaction efficiency via chemical transformations, and also provide a promising strategy for the application of biocatalytic cascade reactions in vivo.

Modulation of Magnetic Exchange Coupling via Constructing Bi- or Multimagnetic Heterointerfaces

How to resolve contradictions between the nanoscale size and high saturation magnetization (M_s) remains one of the scientific challenges in nanoscale magnetism as the theoretical optimal M_s of nanocrystals is compromised by the surface spin disorder. Here, we proposed a novel nanotechnology solution, heterointerface constructions of exchange-coupling core-shell nanocrystals, to rearrange the surface spin for the enhancement of M_s of nanomagnetic materials. As a demonstration of this principle, single-interface coupling FePt@Fe_3-δO₄ core/shell nanocrystals and multi-interface coupling FePt@Fe_3-δO₄@MFe₂O₄ (M = Mn or Co) core/shell/shell nanocrystals were synthesized. The simulated and experimental results demonstrated that constructing coupling heterointerfaces orientates the overall magnetic moment, ultimately enhancing the M_s of nanomagnetic materials. Moreover, this work first demonstrated that the origin of coupling heterointerfaces arose from mismatched lattices rather than chemical composition mismatch at the core-shell interfaces, thus providing both a solution to unite different mechanisms and an explanation to explain the exchange coupling at heterointerfaces.

A cancer cell membrane coated, doxorubicin and microRNA co-encapsulated nanoplatform for colorectal cancer theranostics

Endogenous microRNAs (miRNA) in tumors are currently under exhaustive investigation as potential therapeutic agents for cancer treatment. Nevertheless, RNase degradation, inefficient and untargeted delivery, limited biological effect, and currently unclear side effects remain unsettled issues that frustrate clinical application. To address this, a versatile targeted delivery system for multiple therapeutic and diagnostic agents should be adapted for miRNA. In this study, we developed membrane-coated PLGA-b-PEG DC-chol nanoparticles (m-PPDCNPs) co-encapsulating doxorubicin (Dox) and miRNA-190-Cy7. Such a system showed low biotoxicity, high loading efficiency, and superior targeting ability. Systematic delivery of m-PPDCNPs in mouse models showed exceptionally specific tumor accumulation. Sustained release of miR-190 inhibited tumor angiogenesis, tumor growth, and migration by regulating a large group of angiogenic effectors. Moreover, m-PPDCNPs also enhanced the sensitivity of Dox by suppressing TGF-β signal in colorectal cancer cell lines and mouse models. Together, our results demonstrate a stimulating and promising m-PPDCNPs nanoplatform for colorectal cancer theranostics.

Indocyanine green as a near-infrared theranostic agent for ferroptosis and apoptosis-based, photothermal, and photodynamic cancer therapy

Ferroptosis is a recently discovered programmed cell death pathway initiated by reactive oxygen species (ROS). Cancer cells can escape ferroptosis, and strategies to promote cancer treatment are crucial. Indocyanine green (ICG) is a near-infrared (NIR) fluorescent molecule used in the imaging of residual tumor removal during surgery. Growing attention has been paid to the anticancer potential of ICG-NIR irradiation by inducing ROS production and theranostic effects. Organic anion transmembrane polypeptide (OATP) 1B3 is responsible for ICG metabolism. Additionally, the overexpression of OATP1B3 has been reported in several cancers. However, whether ICG combined with NIR exposure can cause ferroptosis remains unknown and the concept of treating OATP1B3-expressing cells with ICG-NIR irradiation has not been validated. We then used ICG as a theranostic molecule and an OATP1B3-transfected fibrosarcoma cell line, HT-1080 (HT-1080-OATP1B3), as a cell model. The HT-1080-OATP1B3 cell could promote the uptake of ICG into the cytoplasm. We observed that the HT-1080-OATP1B3 cells treated with ICG and exposed to 808-nm laser irradiation underwent apoptosis, as indicated by a reduction in mitochondrial membrane potential, and upregulation of cleaved Caspase-3 and Bax but downregulation of Bcl-2 expression. Moreover, lipid ROS production and consequent ferroptosis and hyperthermic effect were noted after ICG and laser administration. Finally, in vivo study findings also revealed that ICG with 808-nm laser irradiation has a significant effect on cancer suppression. ICG is a theranostic molecule that exerts synchronous apoptosis, ferroptosis, and hyperthermia effects and thus can be used in cancer treatment. Our findings may facilitate the development of treatment modalities for chemo-resistant cancers.

PLGA-Based Nanomedicine: History of Advancement and Development in Clinical Applications of Multiple Diseases

Research on the use of biodegradable polymers for drug delivery has been ongoing since they were first used as bioresorbable surgical devices in the 1980s. For tissue engineering and drug delivery, biodegradable polymer poly-lactic-co-glycolic acid (PLGA) has shown enormous promise among all biomaterials. PLGA are a family of FDA-approved biodegradable polymers that are physically strong and highly biocompatible and have been extensively studied as delivery vehicles of drugs, proteins, and macromolecules such as DNA and RNA. PLGA has a wide range of erosion times and mechanical properties that can be modified. Many innovative platforms have been widely studied and created for the development of methods for the controlled delivery of PLGA. In this paper, the various manufacturing processes and characteristics that impact their breakdown and drug release are explored in depth. Besides different PLGA-based nanoparticles, preclinical and clinical applications for different diseases and the PLGA platform types and their scale-up issues will be discussed.

Current perspectives and trend of nanomedicine in cancer: A review and bibliometric analysis

The limitations of traditional cancer treatments are driving the creation and development of new nanomedicines. At present, with the rapid increase of research on nanomedicine in the field of cancer, there is a lack of intuitive analysis of the development trend, main authors and research hotspots of nanomedicine in the field of cancer, as well as detailed elaboration of possible research hotspots. In this review, data collected from the Web of Science Core Collection database between January 1st, 2000, and December 31st, 2021, were subjected to a bibliometric analysis. The co-authorship, co-citation, and co-occurrence of countries, institutions, authors, literature, and keywords in this subject were examined using VOSviewer, Citespace, and a well-known online bibliometrics platform. We collected 19,654 published papers, China produced the most publications (36.654%, 7204), followed by the United States (29.594%, 5777), and India (7.780%, 1529). An interesting fact is that, despite China having more publications than the United States, the United States still dominates this field, having the highest H-index and the most citations. Acs Nano, Nano Letters, and Biomaterials are the top three academic publications that publish articles on nanomedicine for cancer out of a total of 7580 academic journals. The most significant increases were shown for the keywords "cancer nanomedicine", "tumor microenvironment", "nanoparticles", "prodrug", "targeted nanomedicine", "combination", and "cancer immunotherapy" indicating the promising area of research. Meanwhile, the development prospects and challenges of nanomedicine in cancer are also discussed and provided some solutions to the major obstacles.

Intelligent triggering of nanomicelles based on a ROS-activated anticancer prodrug and photodynamic therapy (PDT)-synergistic therapy for lung cancers

The intelligent triggering of drug release at targeted sites is essential for the safety and efficacy of cancer therapies. This study aimed to design and synthesize a novel prodrug (DHA-S-CA) using a reactive oxygen species (ROS)-responsive moiety, thioacetal, to bridge cinnamaldehyde (CA) and dihydroartemisinin (DHA). As ROS are highly expressed in tumor tissues, the design uses the ROS-responsive moiety as an effective target for the nanodrug delivery system. Furthermore, the near-infrared dye IR808 and the prodrug were adopted to prepare co-loaded Soluplus®/TPGS nanomicelles (IR808/DHA-S-CA NMs). The photosensitized agent IR808 exhibited both tumor accumulation and cancer imaging properties while generating ROS during laser irradiation. Intracellular ROS detection indicated that the prodrug DHA-S-CA could degrade via the high concentration of ROS in cancer cells induced by laser irradiation, and the released CA stimulated mitochondria to regenerate additional ROS to further improve the antitumor effect of DHA. Combined with photodynamic therapy (PDT), IR808/DHA-S-CA (+) NMs outperformed free DHA, DHA NMs, and IR808/DHA-S-CA (-) in a comparison of their pharmacokinetic profiles because it had a longer circulation time and a greater area under the curve (AUC). Compared with other DHA groups, the ROS-responsive IR808/DHA-S-CA (+) micelles had comparable cytotoxic activity. Furthermore, the ROS-responsive IR808/DHA-S-CA (+) micelles exhibited markedly higher anticancer efficiency on lung cancer cells than the other DHA groups. Overall, these results indicated that the therapeutic strategy of our novel small-molecule prodrug combined with PDT has great potential for the treatment of tumors.

Dual-Modal Imaging and Synergistic Spinal Tumor Therapy Enabled by Hierarchical-Structured Nanofibers with Cascade Release and Postoperative Anti-adhesion

Most treatments for spinal cancer are accompanied by serious side effects including subsequent tumor recurrence, spinal cord compression, and tissue adhesion, thus a highly effective treatment is crucial for preserving spinal and neurological functionalities. Herein, trilayered electrospun doxorubicin@bovine serum albumin/poly(ε-caprolactone)/manganese dioxide (DOX@BSA/PCL/MnO₂) nanofibers with excellent antiadhesion ability, dual glutathione/hydrogen peroxide (GSH/H₂O₂) responsiveness, and cascade release of Mn²⁺/DOX was fabricated for realizing an efficient spinal tumor therapy. In detail, Fenton-like reactions between MnO₂ in the fibers outermost layer and intra-/extracellular glutathione within tumors promoted the first-order release of Mn²⁺. Then, sustained release of DOX from the fibers' core layer occurred along with the infiltration of degradation fluid. Such release behavior avoided toxic side effects of drugs, regulated inflammatory tumor microenvironment, amplified tumor elimination efficiency through synergistic chemo-/chemodynamic therapies, and inhibited recurrence of spinal tumors. More interestingly, magnetic resonance and photoacoustic dual-modal imaging enabled visualizations of tumor therapy and material degradation in vivo, achieving rapid pathological analysis and diagnosis. On the whole, such versatile hierarchical-structured nanofibers provided a reference for rapid and potent theranostic of spinal cancer in future clinical translations.

Self-activated arsenic manganite nanohybrids for visible and synergistic thermo/immuno-arsenotherapy

Arsenotherapy has been clinically exploited to treat a few types of solid tumors despite of acute promyelocytic leukemia using arsenic trioxide (ATO), however, its efficacy is hampered by inadequate delivery of ATO into solid tumors owing to the absence of efficient and biodegradable vehicles. Precise spatiotemporal control of subcellular ATO delivery for potent arsenotherapy thus remains challengeable. Herein, we report the self-activated arsenic manganite nanohybrids for high-contrast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and arsenotherapeutic synergy on triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). The nanohybrids, composed of arsenic‑manganese-co-biomineralized nanoparticles inside albumin nanocages (As/Mn-NHs), switch signal-silent background to high proton relaxivity, and simultaneously afford remarkable subcellular ATO level in acidic and glutathione environments, together with reduced ATO resistance against tumor cells. Then, the nanohybrids enable in vivo high-contrast T₁-weighted MRI signals in various tumor models for delineating tumor boundary, and simultaneously yield efficient arsenotherapeutic efficacy through multiple apoptotic pathways for potently suppressing subcutaneous and orthotopic breast models. As/Mn-NHs exhibited the maximum tumor-to-normal tissue (T/N) contrast ratio of 205% and tumor growth inhibition rate of 88% at subcutaneous 4T1 tumors. These nanohybrids further yield preferable synergistic antitumor efficacy against both primary and metastatic breast tumors upon combination with concurrent thermotherapy. More importantly, As/Mn-NHs considerably induce immunogenic cell death (ICD) effect to activate the immunogenically "cold" tumor microenvironment into "hot" one, thus synergizing with immune checkpoint blockade to yield the strongest tumor inhibition and negligible metastatic foci in the lung. Our study offers the insight into clinically potential arsenotherapeutic nanomedicine for potent therapy against solid tumors.

Biodegradable MnO-Based Nanoparticles with Engineering Surface for Tumor Therapy: Simultaneous Fenton-Like Ion Delivery and Immune Activation

Immune checkpoint inhibitors have achieved significant clinical success but are still suffering from inadequate immune activation. It is worth noting that manganese as a nutritional inorganic trace element is closely associated with immune activation to fight against tumor growth and metastasis via the cyclic GMP-AMP synthase-stimulator of interferon genes (cGAS-STING) pathway. Herein, we designed hollow mesoporous silica-coated MnO nanoparticles (NPs), followed by conjugation of tumor homing peptide iRGD (CRGDKGPD). The obtained NPs (MnO@mSiO₂-iRGD NPs) were applied to magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-guided tumor immune-chemodynamic combination therapy, in which MnO NPs can be harnessed for cGAS-STING pathway-activated immunotherapy, Fenton-like reaction-induced reactive oxygen species upregulation, and T₁-weighted MRI. The rough surface and large cavities of the mSiO₂ shell promote cellular uptake and MnO NPs delivery. Meanwhile, it was found that MnO@mSiO₂-iRGD NPs would dissociate under an acid environment, resulting in tumor specificity of MRI and exogenous Mn²⁺ release. Our results revealed that these pH-responsive biodegradable MnO@mSiO₂-iRGD NPs synergized with α-PD-1 (PD-1 = programmed cell death-1) blocking antibody to highly elicit cytotoxic T lymphocyte infiltration and restrict melanoma progression and metastasis, which were envisioned as a promising candidate for tumor theranostics.

TME-triggered MnSiO3@Met@GOx nanosystem for ATP dual-inhibited starvation/chemodynamic synergistic therapy

Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) is an essential substance for maintaining tumor cell survival and proliferation. Inhibiting the ATP-producing pathways has emerged as a promising cancer treatment strategy. However, the antitumor efficiency of ATP inhibitors is compromised by the inter-compensation of multiple ATP-producing pathways in tumor cells and biological barriers in the complex tumor microenvironment (TME). Herein, we developed metformin (Met) and glucose oxidase (GOx) co-loaded manganese silicon nanoplatform MnSiO3@Met@GOx (MMG) for TME-responsive ATP dual inhibited starvation/chemodynamic synergistic therapy. Under the mildly acidic conditions in TME, MMG was decomposed, releasing Met and GOx for effective ATP suppression by inhibiting oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) and aerobic glycolysis pathways, respectively. Meanwhile, GOx-catalyzed glucose oxidation increased tumor acidity and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) concentration in tumors, which not only accelerated MMG decomposition and drug release but also promoted manganese ions-mediated Fenton-like reaction. In vitro and in vivo experiments further demonstrated the effectiveness and biosafety of MMG-based synergistic therapy. This study provides a novel strategy for tumor treatment based on tumor metabolism regulation.

A Multifunctional Vanadium-Iron-Oxide Nanoparticle Eradicates Hepatocellular Carcinoma via Targeting Tumor and Endothelial Cells

Nanoparticles are widely used in biological research and cancer therapy. In hepatocellular carcinoma, several nanoplatforms have been synthesized and studied to improve the drug efficacy; however, these nanoplatforms are still insufficient to eradicate tumors. Herein, we have synthesized a novel vanadium (V)-iron-oxide (ION) nanoparticle (VIO) that combines chemodynamic, photothermal, and diagnostic capacities to enhance the tumor suppression effect in one agent with multiple functions. In the in vitro models, hepatocellular carcinoma cells are significantly inhibited by VIO-based nanoagents. The mechanistic study validates that VIO increases reactive oxygen species (ROS), which led to apoptosis and ferroptosis resulting in cell death. To our surprise, VIO targets not only tumor cells but also endothelial cells. In addition to inducing cell death, VIO also blocks tube formation and cell migration in human umbilical vein endothelial cell (HUVEC) and C166 models, indicating an antiangiogenic potential. In mouse tumor models, VIO retards tumor growth and induces apoptosis in tumor tissues. Furthermore, a significant blood vessel regression is seen in VIO-treated groups accompanied with larger necrotic areas. More interestingly, the activation of photothermal therapy completely eradicates tumor tissues. Taken together, this VIO nanoplatform could be a powerful anticancer candidate for nanodrug development.

An EPR-Independent extravasation Strategy: Deformable leukocytes as vehicles for improved solid tumor therapy

Effective delivery of therapeutic modality throughout the tumorous nidus plays a crucial role in successful solid tumor treatment. However, conventional nanomedicines based on enhanced permeability and retention (EPR) effect have yielded limited delivery/therapeutic efficiency, due mainly to the heterogeneity of the solid tumor. Leukocytes, which could intrinsically migrate across the vessel wall and crawl through tissue interstitium in a self-deformable manner, have currently emerged as an alternative drug delivery vehicle. In this review, we start with the intrinsic properties of leukocytes (e.g., extravasation and crawling inside tumor), focusing on unveiling the conceptual rationality of leveraging leukocytes as EPR-independent delivery vehicles. Then we discussed various cargoes-loading/unloading strategies for leukocyte-based vehicles as well as their promising applications. This review aims to serve as an up-to-date compilation, which might provide inspiration for scientists in the field of drug delivery.

Nanococktail Based on Supramolecular Glyco-Assembly for Eradicating Tumors In Vivo

The development of robust phototherapeutic strategies for eradicating tumors remains a significant challenge in the transfer of cancer phototherapy to clinical practice. Here, a phototherapeutic nanococktail atovaquone/17-dimethylaminoethylamino-17-demethoxygeldanamycin/glyco-BODIPY (ADB) was developed to enhance photodynamic therapy (PDT) and photothermal therapy (PTT) via alleviation of hypoxia and thermal resistance that was constructed using supramolecular self-assembly of glyco-BODIPY (BODIPY-SS-LAC, BSL-1), hypoxia reliever atovaquone (ATO), and heat shock protein inhibitor 17-dimethylaminoethylamino-17-demethoxygeldanamycin (17-DMAG). Benefiting from a glyco-targeting and glutathione (GSH) responsive units BSL-1, ADB can be rapidly taken up by hepatoma cells, furthermore the loaded ATO and 17-DMAG can be released in original form into the cytoplasm. Using in vitro and in vivo results, it was confirmed that ADB enhanced the synergetic PDT and PTT upon irradiation using 685 nm near-infrared light (NIR) under a hypoxic tumor microenvironment where ATO can reduce O₂ consumption and 17-DMAG can down-regulate HSP90. Moreover, ADB exhibited good biosafety, and tumor eradication in vivo. Hence, this as-developed phototherapeutic nanococktail overcomes the substantial obstacles encountered by phototherapy in tumor treatment and offers a promising approach for the eradication of tumors.

A K+-sensitive AND-gate dual-mode probe for simultaneous tumor imaging and malignancy identification

Although molecular imaging probes have the potential to non-invasively diagnose a tumor, imaging probes that can detect a tumor and simultaneously identify tumor malignancy remain elusive. Here, we demonstrate a potassium ion (K⁺) sensitive dual-mode nanoprobe (KDMN) for non-invasive tumor imaging and malignancy identification, which operates via a cascaded ‘AND’ logic gate controlled by inputs of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and fluorescence imaging (FI) signals. We encapsulate commercial K⁺ indicators into the hollow cavities of magnetic mesoporous silica nanoparticles, which are subsequently coated with a K⁺-selective membrane that exclusively permits the passage of K⁺ while excluding other cations. The KDMN can readily accumulate in tumors and enhance the MRI contrast after systemic administration. Spatial information of the tumor lesion is thus accessible via MRI and forms the first layer of the ‘AND’ gate. Meanwhile, the KDMN selectively captures K⁺ and prevents interference from other cations, triggering a K⁺-activated FI signal as the second layer of the ‘AND’ gate in the case of a malignant tumor with a high extracellular K⁺ level. This dual-mode imaging approach effectively eliminates false positive or negative diagnostic results and allows for non-invasive imaging of tumor malignancy with high sensitivity and accuracy.

Degradable Tumor-Responsive Iron-Doped Phosphate-Based Glass Nanozyme for H2O2 Self-Supplying Cancer Therapy

Tumor microenvironment (TME)-responsive chemodynamic therapy (CDT) mediated by nanozymes has been extensively studied both experimentally and theoretically, but the low catalytic efficiency due to insufficient H₂O₂ in the TME and the poor biodegradability of the nanozymes are still main challenges for clinical translation of nanozymes. Herein, we designed a H₂O₂ self-supplying nanozyme bearing glucose oxidase (GOX) and polyethyleneimine based on a degradable iron-doped phosphate-based glass (FePBG) nanomimic (FePBG@GOX), which can convert endogenous glucose into toxic hydroxyl radicals. The GOX loaded on the nanozyme can effectively consume glucose in tumor cells to produce a large amount of H₂O₂ to make up for the lack of H₂O₂ in the TME. Thereafter, enormous hydroxyl radicals, based on a Fenton reaction of FePBG without any exogenous H₂O₂, are generated to induce severe apoptosis of tumor cells. The nanozyme exhibits enhanced in vitro cytotoxicity in a high-glucose medium than in a low-glucose medium, illustrating sufficient generation of H₂O₂ by GOX. The excellent in vivo antitumor efficacy is manifested by a high tumor growth inhibition ratio of 94.65% in model mice. Excellent intrinsic biodegradability owing to its phosphate-based glass nature is a remarkable advantage of the prepared FePBG nanozyme over most other reported nanozymes. Big concerns about side effects caused by long-time residence in living organisms are eliminated since it degrades not only in an acid medium but also in a neutral physiological environment. Therefore, this novel strategy of the TME-responsive H₂O₂ self-supplying nanozyme based on an endogenous cascade catalytic reaction opens up an avenue for designing degradable nanozymes in CDT.

Application of "smart" multifunctional nanoprobes in tumor diagnosis and treatment

Cancer is one of the major diseases that pose a threat to human health and life, especially because it is difficult to diagnose and cure, and recurs easily. In recent years, the development of nanotechnology has provided researchers with new tools for cancer treatment. In particular, nanoprobes that facilitate integrated diagnosis and treatment, high-resolution imaging, and accurate tumor targeting provide new avenues for the early detection and treatment of cancer. This review focuses on the preparations and applications of two kinds of "smart" multifunctional nanoprobes: "Off-On" nanoprobes and "Charge-Reversal" nanoprobes. This review also briefly discusses their mechanisms of action, as they could provide new ideas for the further development of this field.

Multifunctional Self-Assembly with NIR Light-Activated Cascade Effect for Improving Local Treatment on Solid Tumors

Incomplete local treatment of solid tumors is the main cause of tumor difficult to cure, and easily leads to tumor metastasis and recurrence. The dense external matrix and hypoxic microenvironment of solid tumors severely restrict the therapy efficacy of local tumors. Enhancing the infiltration ability of agents to tumor tissues and adapting the therapy mode favored to hypoxic microenvironments are beneficial to improve the cure rate of tumors. In this work, we designed and developed a self-assembled biomaterial with a cascade effect triggered by near-infrared light. The self-assembly was combined of biotin, phase change material (PNIPAM), photochemical agent (ATT-2), and alkyl radical generator (AIPH). In the assembly, biotin acted as a targeted group. ATT-2 was used to provide heat to synergistically induce the phase change and decompose alkyl radicals. The superficial and deep tumors were ablated by heat and alkyl radicals with white light irradiation of the assembly, respectively. The assay in vivo showed that the self-assembly could effectively eliminate local lesions of solid tumors. This work provides new insights for improving the cure rate of tumors, which not only develops biomaterials adapted to the tumor microenvironment, but also proposes new therapies for complete elimination of solid tumors.

NIR-I Dye-Based Probe: A New Window for Bimodal Tumor Theranostics

Near-infrared (NIR, 650–1700 nm) bioimaging has emerged as a powerful strategy in tumor diagnosis. In particular, NIR-I fluorescence imaging (650–950 nm) has drawn more attention, benefiting from the high quantum yield and good biocompatibility. Since their biomedical applications are slightly limited by their relatively low penetration depth, NIR-I fluorescence imaging probes have been under extensive development in recent years. This review summarizes the particular application of the NIR-I fluorescent dye-contained bimodal probes, with emphasis on related nanoprobes. These probes have enabled us to overcome the drawbacks of individual imaging modalities as well as achieve synergistic imaging. Meanwhile, the application of these NIR-I fluorescence-based bimodal probes for cancer theranostics is highlighted.

Advances in Intelligent-Responsive Nanocarriers for Cancer Therapy

With the rapid development of nanotechnology, strategies related to nanomedicine have been used to overcome the shortcomings of traditional chemotherapy drugs, thereby demonstrating significant potential for innovative drug delivery. Nanomaterials play an increasingly important role in cancer immunotherapy. Stimuli-responsive nanomaterials enable the precise control of drug release through exposure to specific stimuli and exhibit excellent specificity in response to various stimuli. Immunomodulators carried by nanomaterials can also effectively regulate the immune system and significantly improve their therapeutic effect on cancer. In recent years, stimuli-responsive nanomaterials have evolved rapidly from single stimuli-responsive systems to multi-stimuli-responsive systems. This review focuses on recent advances in the design and applications of stimuli-responsive nanomaterials, including exogenous and endogenous responsive nanoscale drug delivery systems, which show extraordinary potential in intelligent drug delivery for multimodal cancer diagnosis and treatment. Ultimately, the opportunities and challenges in the development of intelligent responsive nanomaterials are briefly discussed according to recent advances in multi-stimuli-responsive systems.

Synergistic Disruption of Metabolic Homeostasis through Hyperbranched Poly(ethylene glycol) Conjugates as Nanotherapeutics to Constrain Cancer Growth

Combination therapy is a promising approach for effective treatment of tumors through synergistically regulating pathways. However, the synergistic effect is limited, likely by uncontrolled co-delivery of different therapeutic payloads in a single nanoparticle. Herein, a combination nanotherapeutic is developed by using two amphiphilic conjugates, hyperbranched poly(ethylene glycol)-pyropheophorbide-a (Ppa) (HP-P) and hyperbranched poly(ethylene glycol)-doxorubicin (DOX) (HP-D) to construct co-assembly nanoparticles (HP-PD NPs) for controllably co-loading and co-delivering Ppa and DOX. In vitro and in vivo antitumor studies confirm the synergistic effect of photodynamic therapy and chemotherapy from HP-PD NPs. Metabolic variations reveal that tumor suppression is associated with disruption of metabolic homeostasis, leading to reduced protein translation. This study uncovers the manipulation of metabolic changes in tumor cells through disruption of cellular homeostasis using HP-PD NPs and provides a new insight into the rational design of synergistic nanotherapeutics for combination therapy.

NIR Activated Upper Critical Solution Temperature Polymeric Micelles for Trimodal Combinational Cancer Therapy

The balance between drug efficiency and its side effects on normal tissues is still a challenging problem to be solved in current cancer therapies. Among different strategies, cancer therapeutic methods based on nanomedicine delivery systems have received extensive attention due to their unique advantages such as improved circulation and reduced toxicity of drugs in the body. Herein, we constructed dual-responsive polymeric micelles DOX&ALS@MFM based on an upper critical solution temperature (UCST) polymer to simultaneously combine chemotherapy, photothermal therapy (PTT), and photodynamic therapy (PDT). Amphiphilic block copolymer P(AAm-co-AN)-b-PEI-ss-PEG-FA with a critical point of 42 °C was able to self-assemble into polymeric micelles under physiological conditions, which further encapsulated anticancer drug doxorubicin (DOX) and photosensitizer ALS to obtain drug-loaded micelles DOX&ALS@MFM. Micelles aggregated at tumor sites due to folate targeting and an enhanced permeability retention (EPR) effect. After that, the high intracellular concentration of glutathione (GSH) and near-infrared (NIR) light prompted disassembly of the polymer to release DOX and ALS. ALS not only plays a role in PTT but also produces singlet oxygen, therefore killing tumor cells by PDT. Both in vitro and in vivo studies demonstrated the photothermal conversion and reactive oxygen species generation ability of DOX&ALS@MFM micelles, at the same time as the excellent inhibitory effect on tumor growth with NIR light irradiation. Thus, our research substantiated a new strategy for the biomedical application of UCST polymers in the cited triple modal tumor therapy.