A Bi₂O₃-TiO₂ Heterojunction for Triple-Modality Cancer Theranostics

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Nanotechnology
• Oncology

Background:

• Single-mode cancer therapies face limitations, driving interest in combination treatments.
• Developing effective and simple platforms for combined cancer therapies remains a challenge.
• Integrating multiple therapeutic modalities into a single platform can enhance treatment efficacy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To create a multifunctional nanoplatform for combined sonodynamic therapy, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy.
• To improve therapeutic outcomes in cancer treatment through a synergistic approach.
• To develop an effective anti-cancer theranostic agent.

Main Methods:

• Constructed a Bi2O3-TiO2@polydopamine-doxorubicin (BTPD) nanoparticle platform.
• Utilized Bi2O3-TiO2 core for sonodynamic and radiotherapy enhancement.
• Incorporated polydopamine (PDA) for biocompatibility and photoacoustic imaging, loaded with doxorubicin as a chemotherapy agent.

Main Results:

• BTPD nanoparticles demonstrated effective uptake into cancer cells.
• Induction of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and subsequent cancer cell death was observed.
• Significant reduction in tumor volume was achieved in a murine 4T1 cancer model.

Conclusions:

• The developed BTPD nanoplatform shows potential for combined cancer therapy.
• This multifunctional platform offers a promising strategy for future cancer treatment investigations.
• Further exploration of this nanoplatform in clinical settings is warranted.