Preparation and characterization of Ganoderma lucidum polysaccharide-based multifunctional tellurium nanorods to...

Cancer remains a significant global health challenge. Given the limitations of conventional single-treatment modalities and the potential benefits of combination therapies, this study aimed to develop a multifunctional nanoplatform integrating immunotherapy, chemotherapy, and photothermal therapy for cancer treatment. Ganoderma lucidum polysaccharides (GLPs) and luteolin (LU) were employed to regulate the one-dimensional growth of tellurium nanorods, forming distinctive nanorods (GLP-LU-TeNRs) with an aspect ratio of 5.8. GLP-LU-TeNRs demonstrated excellent photothermal performance with a photothermal conversion efficiency (η) of 30.9 %. Upon irradiation with 808 nm near-infrared (NIR) light, GLP-LU-TeNRs inhibited the proliferation of cancer cells, reducing it by up to 22.8 % in vitro (150 μg/mL), while in vivo, they suppressed tumor growth and metastasis by up to 36.1 % and 66.7 % (15 μg/mL), respectively, compared to the non-laser group. GLP-LU-TeNRs markedly induced apoptosis in tumor cells. GLP not only upregulated nitric oxide (NO) production but also promoted the maturation of dendritic cells (DCs), exhibiting potential to initiate anti-tumor immune responses. The multifunctional tellurium nanorods developed in this study offer a promising approach to enhance the efficacy of cancer treatment, particularly in cases where single-agent therapy is suboptimal.