Synergistic chemo-photothermal treatment via MXene-encapsulated nanoparticles for targeted melanoma therapy

Owing to its high photothermal conversion efficiency, MXene has garnered strong interest in biomedical applications. MXene has demonstrated significant promise particularly in chemo-photothermal cancer therapy. However, MXene's inherent instability in aqueous environments poses challenges for advanced biological applications. Here, we address this limitation by encapsulating MXene nanoparticles (NPs) within an amphiphilic polymer matrix of hyaluronic acid and poly(lactide-co-glycolide) (HA-PLGA/MX NPs), enhancing photothermal stability and functionality in physiological conditions. Moreover, to achieve targeted chemo-photothermal therapy, we co-loaded the anticancer agent paclitaxel (PTX) with HA-PLGA/MX (HA-PLGA/MXP NPs), facilitating simultaneous delivery of heat and drug to tumor sites. The HA-PLGA/MXP NPs were synthesized using a straightforward water-oil-water emulsion method and extensively characterized for drug release assays to confirm their suitability as dual-functional nanocarriers. Both in vitro and in vivo studies demonstrated that HA-PLGA/MXP NPs, under laser irradiation, achieved obviously enhanced therapeutic efficacy, with an ∼81.9 % cell death rate and a ∼95.7 % tumor inhibition rate, outperforming the effects of chemotherapy or photothermal therapy alone. Integrating MXene in HA-PLGA encapsulation introduces a potent platform for melanoma treatment, offering synergistic therapeutic potential by combining photothermal activity with sustained drug release, highlighting a promising approach to targeted cancer therapy, and advancing the field of NP-based chemo-photothermal therapeutics.