Engineering Rigid Nanocarriers to Enhance Photothermal Performance for Suppressing Breast Cancer and Pulmonary...

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Nanotechnology
• Photothermal Therapy

Background:

• Organic agents are promising for photothermal conversion efficiency (PCE).
• Nanocarriers improve aqueous dispersibility but their impact on PCE is understudied.
• Carrier rigidity's role in organic photothermal nanoparticle (NP) performance is largely overlooked.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate how carrier rigidity affects the PCE and therapeutic efficacy of organic photothermal NPs.
• To understand the influence of carrier rigidity on NP motion, thermophoresis, and photothermal performance.
• To establish carrier rigidity as a design parameter for optimizing photothermal agents.

Main Methods:

• Encapsulation of an organic photothermal agent into carriers of varying rigidity (polystyrene and phospholipid-based NPs).
• Evaluation of photothermal conversion efficiency (PCE) and Brownian motion.
• In vitro and in vivo assessment of therapeutic efficacy, including tumor inhibition and metastasis suppression.

Main Results:

• Rigid polystyrene (PS) NPs (FT@PS) exhibited enhanced Brownian motion and higher PCE compared to softer counterparts.
• Increased particle mobility in rigid carriers correlated with suppressed nonradiative energy dissipation.
• FT@PS NPs demonstrated superior in vitro and in vivo therapeutic outcomes, including potent tumor inhibition and reduced pulmonary metastasis.

Conclusions:

• Carrier rigidity is a critical factor influencing the photothermal properties of organic NPs.
• Rigid nanocarriers can enhance photothermal conversion efficiency and suppress nonradiative energy loss.
• Optimizing carrier rigidity offers a promising strategy for improving photothermal therapy efficacy.