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Updated: May 10, 2026

Polymalic Acid-based Nano Biopolymers for Targeting of Multiple Tumor Markers: An Opportunity for Personalized Medicine?
Published on: June 13, 2014
Meltable Polycarbonate Polymersomes as Photoresponsive Micro-Analgesia Pumps for Concurrent Tumor Therapy and Pain
Jiajia Tan1, Jiqian Zhang1, Minglong Chen1
1Department of Pharmacy, The First Affiliated Hospital of the University of Science and Technology of China, and State Key Laboratory of Precision and Intelligent Chemistry, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, 230026, China.
Abstract:
Over 75% of patients with advanced-stage tumors experience severe cancer-associated pain, yet current opioid-based therapies are limited by dose-dependent toxicity, adverse side effects, and poor delivery control. Here, we present a light-responsive meltable polycarbonate polymersome (MPP) micro-analgesia pump, self-assembled from Nile blue-labeled polycarbonate block copolymers encapsulating tetrodotoxin (TTX), a non-opioid analgesic. The MPPs effectively suppress spontaneous TTX leakage under dark conditions, thereby minimizing off-target toxicity, while enabling on-demand release upon red light irradiation. This release is driven by localized photothermal heating of aggregated Nile blue moieties, which induces melting of the polycarbonate bilayer membrane. In addition, the photoresponsive system integrates photothermal and photodynamic effects to inhibit tumor growth while simultaneously alleviating tumor-induced pain. Overall, this strategy provides a promising non-opioid approach for concurrent management of cancer pain and tumor progression.
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