MXene/Doxorubicin Complex-Loaded Supramolecular Hydrogels for Near Infrared-Triggered Synergistic Cancer Therapy

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Nanotechnology
• Cancer Therapy

Background:

• Photothermal therapy (PTT) offers precise cancer treatment with lower toxicity than conventional methods.
• Challenges in PTT include incomplete tumor eradication and damage to healthy tissues.
• Combining PTT with chemotherapy can enhance therapeutic outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop an injectable supramolecular hydrogel (MDGel) for dual synergistic cancer therapy.
• To integrate MXene-doxorubicin (MD) complexes into the hydrogel for near-infrared (NIR) PTT and chemotherapy.
• To evaluate the in vitro and in vivo efficacy of the MDGel system.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of MDGel using host-guest interactions between gelatin-cyclodextrin (GE-CD) and hyaluronic acid-adamantane (HA-AD).
• Loading of MXene-doxorubicin (MD) complexes into the hydrogel for controlled release.
• Assessment of in vitro cancer cell death and in vivo tumor inhibition in a mouse model.

Main Results:

• MDGel demonstrated efficient dispersion of MD complexes and triggered drug release upon NIR irradiation.
• In vitro studies showed nearly 80% cancer cell death due to the synergistic effect of PTT and chemotherapy.
• In vivo studies achieved 68.9% tumor volume reduction in a skin cancer mouse model with no significant adverse effects.

Conclusions:

• The developed MDGel system provides a versatile platform for dual synergistic cancer therapy.
• NIR-triggered PTT combined with chemotherapy offers a localized and effective treatment strategy.
• The hydrogel system shows potential for improved cancer treatment with reduced side effects.