Smart Fluorescence-Responsive Polymer Hybrid Nanoparticles for Ferroptosis-Associated Therapy and Pathological Ion

Shujuan Yu1, Feng Chen2, Leidi Yuan3

  • 1Department of Stomatology, Taizhou Municipal Hospital, Taizhou, Zhejiang, China.

Journal of Fluorescence
|January 6, 2026
PubMed

Insights

This study developed novel nanoparticles for oral cancer therapy. These nanoparticles enhance resveratrol

Area of Science:

  • Biomaterials Science
  • Nanotechnology
  • Cancer Therapy
  • Molecular Diagnostics

Background:

  • Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) presents therapeutic challenges due to limited drug effectiveness and side effects.
  • Resveratrol (RV) demonstrates anti-OSCC properties but is hindered by poor solubility and bioavailability.
  • Existing treatments necessitate improved drug delivery systems and diagnostic tools for OSCC management.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To develop a multifunctional nanoparticle system for enhanced OSCC therapy and pathological ion detection.
  • To overcome the limitations of resveratrol (RV) by improving its solubility and bioavailability for OSCC treatment.
  • To create a fluorescence-responsive platform for detecting OSCC-related ions and mediating ferroptosis-associated therapy.

Main Methods:

  • Fabrication of a polymer hybrid nanoparticle (poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid)-PLGA) modified with specific compounds (compound 1, 4-(trimethoxysilyl)butanoic acid-TMSBA) and co-loaded with compound 2 and resveratrol (RV).
  • Evaluation of the nanoparticle's fluorescence selectivity and sensitivity towards OSCC-related glutathione (GSH⁻) and iron (Fe³⁺) ions.
  • Assessment of resveratrol-loaded nanoparticle (RV-NPs) efficacy on CAL-27 cell proliferation using CCK-8 assays and investigation of the antitumor mechanism via qRT-PCR analysis of ferroptosis regulators.

Main Results:

  • The developed nanoparticles (1-PLGA-TMSBA@2@RV) showed high fluorescence selectivity for GSH⁻ (98% quenching) and Fe³⁺ (92.9% quenching), with a wide detection range for GSH⁻ (10⁻⁷-10⁻² M) and a low detection limit for Fe³⁺ (10⁻⁶ M).
  • RV-NPs significantly inhibited CAL-27 cell proliferation (53.8% higher efficacy than free RV), while blank carriers exhibited good biocompatibility.
  • qRT-PCR analysis indicated that RV-NPs downregulated the ferroptosis regulator SLC7A11 by 71.2%, suggesting a ferroptosis-mediated antitumor effect.

Conclusions:

  • The developed nanoplatform effectively integrates enhanced OSCC therapy with real-time pathological ion detection.
  • The nanoparticle system overcomes resveratrol's limitations, offering improved bioavailability and targeted delivery for OSCC treatment.
  • The findings suggest a promising ferroptosis-associated therapeutic strategy for OSCC, coupled with advanced diagnostic capabilities.

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