Zwitterionic Temperature/Redox-Sensitive Nanogels for Near-Infrared Light-Triggered Synergistic Thermo-Chemotherapy

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Nanotechnology
• Oncology

Background:

• Effective nano drug delivery systems (NDDSs) face challenges overcoming physiological barriers for cancer treatment.
• Current NDDSs struggle to simultaneously address tumor accumulation, penetration, cellular uptake, and intracellular drug release.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a zwitterionic, temperature/redox-sensitive nanogel (I/D@NG) for synergistic thermo-chemotherapy.
• To engineer a nanoplatform capable of overcoming multiple physiological barriers in cancer therapy.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of zwitterionic nanogels loaded with Indocyanine green (ICG) and doxorubicin (DOX).
• Utilized near-infrared (NIR) irradiation for photothermal effects and triggered nanogel size reduction.
• Investigated lysosomal escape via singlet oxygen-induced disruption and intracellular drug release mechanisms.

Main Results:

• NIR irradiation enhanced tumor accumulation, penetration, and cellular uptake of I/D@NG.
• I/D@NG demonstrated prolonged blood circulation time and effective lysosomal escape.
• The nanoplatform achieved synergistic cytotoxicity and significant in vivo anticancer effects.

Conclusions:

• The developed I/D@NG nanoplatform successfully overcomes multiple physiological barriers for enhanced cancer therapy.
• This nanoplatform offers a promising strategy for synergistic thermo-chemotherapy with significant therapeutic potential.
• The study provides new insights for designing advanced nanoplatforms for synergistic cancer treatment.