Correction: Stimuli-responsive magnetic nanoparticles for tumor-targeted bimodal imaging and photodynamic/hyperthermia combination therapy

Tumor-on-a-chip platforms for assessing nanoparticle-based cancer therapy

Cancer has become the most prevalent cause of deaths, placing a huge economic and healthcare burden worldwide. Nanoparticles (NPs), as a key component of nanomedicine, provide alternative options for promoting the efficacy of cancer therapy. Current conventional cancer models have limitations in predicting the effects of various cancer treatments. To overcome these limitations, biomimetic and novel 'tumor-on-a-chip' platforms have emerged with other innovative biomedical engineering methods that enable the evaluation of NP-based cancer therapy. In this review, we first describe cancer models for evaluation of NP-based cancer therapy techniques, and then present the latest advances in 'tumor-on-a-chip' platforms that can potentially facilitate clinical translation of NP-based cancer therapies.

Magnetic nanoparticles in cancer diagnosis, drug delivery and treatment

In recent years, magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) have demonstrated marked progress in the field of oncology. General nanoparticles are widely used in tumor targeting, and the intrinsic magnetic property of MNPs makes them the most promising nanomaterial to be used as contrast agents for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and induced magnetic hyperthermia. The properties of MNPs are fully exploited when they are used as drug delivery agents, wherein drugs may be targeted to the desired specific location in vivo by application of an external magnetic field. Early diagnosis of cancer may be achieved by MRI, therefore, individualized treatment may be combined with MRI, so as to achieve the precise definition and appropriate treatment. In the present review, research on MNPs in cancer diagnosis, drug delivery and treatment has been summarized. Furthermore, the future perspectives and challenges of MNPs in the field of oncology are also discussed.

Magnetic and pH dual-responsive mesoporous silica nanocomposites for effective and low-toxic photodynamic therapy

Nonspecific targeting, large doses and phototoxicity severely hamper the clinical effect of photodynamic therapy (PDT). In this work, superparamagnetic Fe₃O₄ mesoporous silica nanoparticles grafted by pH-responsive block polymer polyethylene glycol-b-poly(aspartic acid) (PEG-b-PAsp) were fabricated to load the model photosensitizer rose bengal (RB) in the aim of enhancing the efficiency of PDT. Compared to free RB, the nanocomposites (polyethylene glycol-b-polyaspartate-modified rose bengal-loaded magnetic mesoporous silica [RB−MMSNs]) could greatly enhance the cellular uptake due to their effective endocytosis by mouse melanoma B16 cell and exhibited higher induced apoptosis although with little dark toxicity. RB−MMSNs had little dark toxicity and even much could be facilitated by magnetic field in vitro. RB−MMSNs demonstrated 10 times induced apoptosis efficiency than that of free RB at the same RB concentration, both by cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) result and apoptosis detection. Furthermore, RB−MMSNs-mediated PDT in vivo on tumor-bearing mice showed steady physical targeting of RB−MMSNs to the tumor site; tumor volumes were significantly reduced in the magnetic field with green light irradiation. More importantly, the survival time of tumor-bearing mice treated with RB−MMSNs was much prolonged. Henceforth, polyethylene glycol-b-polyaspartate-modified magnetic mesoporous silica (MMSNs) probably have great potential in clinical cancer photodynamic treatment because of their effective and low-toxic performance as photosensitizers’ vesicles.