Interface-Engineered Mesoporous FeB with Programmed Drug Release for Synergistic Cancer Theranostics

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Nanotechnology
• Materials Science

Background:

• Developing iron-based nanoagents for cancer therapy aims to leverage essential elements, avoiding issues associated with other metal-based agents.
• Mesoporous iron-boron (mFeB) nanoagents are explored as a platform for synergistic cancer treatment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To engineer interface-modified mesoporous Fe-based nanoagents (mFeB@DOX-ss-SiO2) for programmed drug release and synergistic cancer theranostics.
• To investigate the combined efficacy of chemodynamic therapy (CDT), photothermal therapy (PTT), and chemotherapy for cancer treatment.

Main Methods:

• Interface-engineered mesoporous FeB (mFeB) oxidized to FeOOH nanosheets, loaded with doxorubicin (DOX), and encapsulated in a disulfide-bonded SiO2 shell (mFeB@DOX-ss-SiO2).
• Activation in the tumor microenvironment for DOX release and FeOOH formation with Fenton activity for CDT.
• Utilizing high photothermal conversion efficiency for enhanced CDT and inherent ferromagnetism/fluorescence for imaging.

Main Results:

• mFeB@DOX-ss-SiO2 demonstrated programmed drug release and synergistic CDT/PTT/chemotherapy.
• The nanoagent exhibited T2-weighted magnetic resonance imaging and fluorescence imaging capabilities.
• In vivo studies showed complete tumor suppression in a mouse model with good biocompatibility.

Conclusions:

• The developed mFeB@DOX-ss-SiO2 nanoagent offers a promising theranostic platform for synergistic cancer therapy.
• Interface engineering of Fe-based nanoagents provides a novel strategy for cancer treatment.
• This approach opens new avenues for exploring theranostic nanoagents using essential elements.