Size transformable organic nanotheranostic agents for NIR-II imaging-guided oncotherapy

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Nanotechnology
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Second near-infrared (NIR-II) fluorescence imaging combined with photothermal therapy (PTT) shows promise for cancer treatment.
• Limited tumor accumulation and penetration of NIR-II probes can hinder their efficacy.
• Developing advanced nanotheranostic agents is crucial for overcoming these limitations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a size-transformable NIR-II nanotheranostic agent for enhanced deep tumor penetration and retention.
• To achieve precise imaging and effective PTT in tumor tissues.
• To investigate the dual targeting and stimuli-responsive properties for improved therapeutic outcomes.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of BBT-HASS@FPMPL NPs using hyaluronic acid (HA) and disulfide bonds for drug loading, with a folic acid (FA)-modified polylysine (FPMPL) shell.
• Utilizing dual targeting (HA and FA) for selective tumor accumulation.
• Triggering particle size reduction and charge reversal in the acidic tumor microenvironment for enhanced penetration.
• Investigating size changes induced by hyaluronidase and glutathione (GSH) for drug release and retention.

Main Results:

• The BBT-HASS@FPMPL NPs demonstrated dual targeting and stimuli-responsive size transformation.
• Enhanced penetration and retention in deep tumor tissues were observed.
• Precise monitoring of subcutaneous tumor progression in mice using NIR-II fluorescence for 6 days post-injection.
• Effective photothermal therapy (PTT) was achieved due to improved tumor accumulation and penetration.

Conclusions:

• The developed size-transformable nanotheranostic platform offers improved tumor penetration and retention.
• This platform enables precise NIR-II fluorescence imaging for real-time tumor monitoring.
• The combination of enhanced imaging and PTT holds potential for precise cancer diagnosis and therapy.