Bioorthogonal Janus microparticles for photothermal and chemo-therapy

Area of Science:

• Biochemistry
• Materials Science
• Oncology

Background:

• Bioorthogonal chemistry is a powerful tool in chemical biology for cancer treatment.
• Efficient drug delivery systems are crucial for enhancing bioorthogonal cancer therapies.
• Janus microparticles (JMs) offer potential for localized and targeted drug delivery.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop Janus microparticles (JMs) for enhanced bioorthogonal drug treatment of tumors.
• To investigate the combined efficacy of bioorthogonal chemotherapy and photothermal therapy (PTT).
• To reduce systemic toxicity of chemotherapy drugs through prodrug modification.

Main Methods:

• Janus microparticles (JMs) were loaded with cyclooctene-modified doxorubicin prodrug (TCO-DOX) and tetrazine-modified indocyanine green (Tz-ICG) triggers.
• Tz-ICG served as both a bioorthogonal trigger and a photothermal agent for PTT.
• In vitro and in vivo studies were conducted to evaluate tumor cell killing, tumor progression, and metastasis inhibition.

Main Results:

• The JMs system demonstrated effective in vitro tumor cell killing.
• Combined bioorthogonal chemotherapy and PTT significantly inhibited local tumor progression.
• Systemic toxicity of doxorubicin was reduced by cyclooctene modification.
• Effective inhibition of distant lung metastasis was observed after postoperative treatment.
• The system showed good safety profiles in preclinical evaluations.

Conclusions:

• Janus microparticles provide a novel platform for bioorthogonal prodrug activation and localized delivery.
• The combination of bioorthogonal chemotherapy and PTT shows significant promise for cancer therapy.
• This approach offers a potential strategy for reducing chemotherapy-induced systemic toxicity.
• The developed JMs system holds great promise for future cancer treatment applications.