Multi-Sensitive Au NCs/5-FU@Carr-LA Composite Hydrogels for Targeted Multimodal Anti-Tumor Therapy

Multifunctional targeted drug delivery systems have been explored as a novel cancer treatment strategy to overcome limitations of traditional chemotherapy. The combination of photodynamic therapy and chemotherapy has been shown to enhance efficacy, but the phototoxicity of traditional photosensitizers is a challenge. In this study, we prepared a multi-sensitive composite hydrogel containing gold nanoclusters (Au NCs) and the temperature-sensitive antitumor drug 5-fluorourac il (5-FU) using carboxymethyl cellulose (Carr) as a dual-functional template. Au NCs were synthesized using sodium borohydride as a reducing agent and potassium as a promoter. The resulting Au NCs were embedded in the Carr hydrogel, which was then conjugated with lactobionic acid (LA) as a targeting ligand. The resulting Au NCs/5-FU@Carr-LA composite hydrogel was used for synergistic photodynamic therapy (PDT), photothermal therapy (PTT), and chemotherapy. Au NCs/5-FU@Carr-LA releases the drug faster at pH 5.0 due to the acid sensitivity of the Carr polymer chain. In addition, at 50 °C, the release rate of Au NCs/5-FU@Carr-LA is 78.2%, indicating that the higher temperature generated by the photothermal effect is conducive to the degradation of Carr polymer chains. The Carr hydrogel stabilized the Au NCs and acted as a matrix for drug loading, and the LA ligand facilitated targeted delivery to tumor cells. The composite hydrogel exhibited excellent biocompatibility and synergistic antitumor efficacy, as demonstrated by in vitro and in vivo experiments. In addition, the hydrogel had thermal imaging capabilities, making it a promising multifunctional platform for targeted cancer therapy.