Mesoporous polydopamine-based multifunctional nanoparticles for enhanced cancer phototherapy

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Nanotechnology
• Cancer Research

Background:

• Photodynamic therapy (PDT) and photothermal therapy (PTT) are promising cancer treatments.
• Tumor hypoxia, high glutathione (GSH) levels, and poor photosensitizer uptake limit PDT efficacy.
• Novel nanoplatforms are needed to overcome these limitations for enhanced cancer therapy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a multifunctional nanoplatform (IR-820/PFO@FA-MPPD) for enhanced cancer PDT/PTT.
• To combine oxygen supply, GSH depletion, and tumor targeting in a single system.
• To overcome PDT resistance and improve therapeutic outcomes.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of folate-decorated mesoporous polydopamine nanoparticles (FA-MPPD) co-loaded with indocyanine green (IR-820) and perfluorooctane (PFO).
• Evaluation of singlet oxygen generation, photothermal effect, GSH-promoted drug release, and cellular uptake in vitro.
• Assessment of tumor hypoxia relief, GSH depletion, and antitumor efficacy in vivo after intratumoral injection.

Main Results:

• IR-820/PFO@FA-MPPD demonstrated efficient singlet oxygen generation and photothermal effect under 808 nm laser irradiation.
• The nanoplatform effectively relieved tumor hypoxia via PFO-mediated oxygen transport and depleted intracellular GSH.
• Significant photocytotoxicity in vitro and potent antitumor effects in vivo were observed.

Conclusions:

• The developed IR-820/PFO@FA-MPPD nanoplatform effectively overcomes PDT resistance.
• This multifunctional system offers a simple and effective strategy to potentiate PDT for enhanced cancer phototherapy.
• The approach holds promise for improving the efficacy of combined PDT/PTT in cancer treatment.