Advances in Indocyanine Green-Based Codelivery Nanoplatforms for Combinatorial Therapy

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Nanotechnology
• Oncology

Background:

• Indocyanine green (ICG) is a near-infrared (NIR) agent with significant imaging and therapeutic potential.
• Conventional ICG-based cancer diagnosis and therapy often show limited efficacy, leading to incomplete tumor elimination.
• Existing nanoplatforms aim to overcome ICG's limitations through improved drug delivery systems (DDS).

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review nanoplatforms engineered for the codelivery of ICG and other therapeutic agents.
• To provide a foundation for the future clinical development of ICG-based nanomedicines.
• To illustrate codelivery systems combining ICG with various mechanism-based therapeutic agents.

Main Methods:

• Review of currently available nanoplatforms, including polymers, inorganic materials, proteins, and metal-organic frameworks (MOFs).
• Analysis of systems designed for the codelivery of ICG with combined therapeutic agents.
• Illustration of codelivery systems for ICG and different mechanism-based therapeutic agents.

Main Results:

• Various nanoplatforms (polymers, inorganic, proteins, MOFs) have been developed for ICG codelivery.
• Engineered DDSs facilitate the combined delivery of ICG with therapeutic agents for synergistic antitumor effects.
• Multifunctional imaging-guided synergistic effects are achieved through these codelivery systems.

Conclusions:

• Nanoplatforms offer a promising approach for enhancing the therapeutic efficacy of ICG in cancer treatment.
• Codelivery systems integrating ICG with other agents show potential for improved tumor elimination.
• Further research and clinical development are needed to address challenges and realize the full potential of ICG-based nanoplatforms.