Intelligent α-Cyclodextrin-Based Nanomachines Co-loading Lenalidomide and Au@TPE for NIR-I-Light Programmed...

Malignant tumors have emerged as a major threat to human health. Micro/nanomachines offer minimally invasive advantages over traditional cancer therapies, making them promising for medical applications. Herein, we designed an α-cyclodextrin-based nanomachine (αALN) encapsulating Au@TPE as a photothermal agent, leveraging cyclodextrins' encapsulation and carrier properties to achieve high Au@TPE loading and targeted delivery to tumor sites for effective photothermal therapy (PTT). Furthermore, the immunomodulatory drug lenalidomide was integrated into this system. Post-administration, αALN delivers lenalidomide to lesions while exerting dual functions: guiding nanomachine accumulation in tumors and activating killer cells to elicit anti-tumor immune responses. The synergy between PTT and immunotherapy significantly enhanced breast cancer therapeutic efficacy. αALN exhibits excellent photothermal conversion efficiency, high stability, and low intrinsic toxicity, minimizing side effects on healthy tissues. Collectively, this study expands the therapeutic framework for breast cancer by combining lenalidomide-mediated immunotherapy with PTT, providing a nanomachine-based strategy for precision oncology.