Self-Propelled Nanomotor for Cancer Precision Combination Therapy

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Nanotechnology
• Oncology

Background:

• Conventional chemotherapy faces limitations in tumor treatment due to the tumor microenvironment.
• Aberrant intracellular calcium overload contributes to cell damage and death, presenting a therapeutic target.
• Cancer ion interference therapy offers a novel strategy by manipulating cellular ion concentrations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate novel nanomotors for targeted cancer therapy.
• To investigate the potential of calcium peroxide-driven nanomotors for drug delivery and tumor treatment.
• To assess the combined effects of active targeting, imaging, and reactive oxygen species generation for enhanced therapeutic outcomes.

Main Methods:

• Assembly of nanomotors incorporating doxorubicin (DOX) and calcium peroxide (CaO2).
• Surface modification with nucleic acid aptamers for active tumor targeting and NIR-II fluorescent molecules for imaging.
• In vitro and in vivo experiments to assess nanomotor efficacy, targeting, and imaging capabilities.
• Molecular biology techniques to verify intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and apoptosis induction.

Main Results:

• Successfully synthesized CaO2/DOX@HPS-IR-1061-AS1411 nanomotors with dual targeting and imaging functionalities.
• Demonstrated superior tumor cell killing effects in vitro and in vivo compared to conventional treatments.
• Verified that nanomotors generate intracellular ROS, leading to tumor cell apoptosis and therapeutic effects.

Conclusions:

• The developed nanomotors show significant potential as an innovative platform for cancer ion interference therapy.
• The combination of targeted drug delivery, ROS generation, and imaging provides a multi-pronged approach for effective tumor treatment.
• This nanomotor system offers a promising strategy to overcome the limitations of traditional chemotherapeutic agents.