Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Carbon-Based Functional Materials & Devices, Institute of Functional Nano & Soft Materials, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215123, China.
ACS Nano. 2013 Aug 27;7(8):6782-95. doi: 10.1021/nn4017179. Epub 2013 Jul 9.
Multifunctional nanoplatforms that are safe and have multiple therapeutic functions together with imaging capabilities are highly demanded in the development of new cancer theranostic approaches. A number of near-infrared (NIR)-absorbing inorganic nanomaterials, although having shown great promise not only to photothermally ablate tumors but also to enhance the efficacy of other types of therapies, are not biodegradable and would be retained in the body for a long time. Herein, we develop a multifunctional nanocomposite by coating magnetic iron oxide nanoclusters with a near-infrared light-absorbing polymer polypyrrole (PPy), obtaining Fe3O4@PPy core-shell nanoparticles, which after functionalization with polyethylene glycol could be used for imaging-guided, remotely controlled cancer combination therapy. In this system, the Fe3O4 core, which could be gradually decomposed in physiological environments, is useful for magnetically controlled drug delivery as well as a magnetic resonance imaging contrast. The PPy shell, as an organic polymer, is able to load therapeutic molecules with aromatic structures and also exhibits a strong photothermal effect, which can be used to enhance the chemotherapeutic efficacy, showing an outstanding in vivo synergistic antitumor effect. Our work encourages further exploration of light-absorbing polymer-based nanocomposites for cancer combination therapy under remote physical controls.
多功能纳米平台在新型癌症治疗方法的发展中受到高度重视，这些平台安全且具有多种治疗功能，并具有成像能力。许多近红外（NIR）吸收无机纳米材料，虽然不仅显示出光热消融肿瘤的巨大潜力，而且还增强了其他类型治疗的效果，但它们不可生物降解，并且会在体内保留很长时间。在此，我们通过用近红外光吸收聚合物聚吡咯（PPy）涂覆磁性氧化铁纳米簇来开发多功能纳米复合材料，得到了 Fe3O4@PPy 核壳纳米粒子，经过聚乙二醇功能化后，可用于成像引导的远程控制癌症联合治疗。在该系统中，可在生理环境中逐渐分解的 Fe3O4 核对于磁性控制药物输送以及磁共振成像对比具有重要作用。作为有机聚合物的 PPy 壳能够负载具有芳香结构的治疗分子，并且还表现出强烈的光热效应，可用于增强化学治疗效果，表现出出色的体内协同抗肿瘤作用。我们的工作鼓励进一步探索基于光吸收聚合物的纳米复合材料，以在远程物理控制下进行癌症联合治疗。
