Photothermal Propelling and Pyroelectric Potential-Promoted Cell Internalization of Janus Nanoparticles and...

Area of Science:

• Nanotechnology
• Biomedical Engineering
• Materials Science

Background:

• Phototherapy for cancer faces challenges with agent delivery and side effects.
• Janus pyroelectric nanoparticles (NPs) offer a novel solution to enhance therapeutic delivery and efficacy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design Janus pyroelectric nanoparticles (NPs) for enhanced cancer phototherapy.
• To investigate the self-powered motion and electric field generation of these NPs for improved tumor targeting and treatment.

Main Methods:

• Janus NPs were fabricated by coating polydopamine (PDA) on BaTiO3 (tBT) NPs, followed by gold (Au) NP deposition (tBT@PDA-Au).
• Near-infrared (NIR) illumination induced pyroelectric potentials and asymmetric photothermal effects, creating thermophoretic motion.
• The effects on tumor cell membrane potential, internalization, reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, and antitumor efficacy were evaluated.

Main Results:

• NIR illumination of tBT@PDA-Au NPs generated pyroelectric potentials, enhancing tumor cell internalization and producing ROS for pyroelectric dynamic therapy (PEDT).
• The asymmetric photothermal effect propelled NP motion, improving tissue diffusion and cellular uptake.
• Au NP incorporation boosted photothermal effects, motion velocity, pyroelectric potentials, and cellular uptake, leading to significant tumor apoptosis, growth suppression, and extended survival.

Conclusions:

• Janus tBT@PDA-Au NPs, under NIR, demonstrate thermophoretic motion-driven diffusion and electric field-enhanced cell internalization.
• The synergistic combination of photothermal and PEDT effects provides significant antitumor efficacy.
• This design overcomes key limitations in cancer phototherapy, offering a promising therapeutic strategy.