Self-Assembly Iron Oxide Nanoclusters for Photothermal-Mediated Synergistic Chemo/Chemodynamic Therapy

摘要

Background and Purpose . Although chemodynamic therapy (CDT) is promising for cancer treatment, its clinical application is still limited because of unresolved issues. In this study, an efficient CDT agent for synergistic chemo/CDT therapy mediated by the photothermal effect was developed by an iron oxide self-assembly method. Methods . Superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoclusters (SPIOCs) were located within the core, which resulted in high photothermal conversion and outstanding generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). The shell consisted of a human serum albumin- (HSA-) paclitaxel (PTX) layer, which extended the blood circulation time and ensured the effectiveness of the chemotherapy. Arg-Gly-Asp peptides (RGD) were linked to the naked cysteine moieties in HSA to promote the specific targeting of human glioma U87 cells by α v β 3 integrins. Continuous near-infrared light irradiation triggered and promoted the synergistic chemo/CDT therapy through the photothermal effect. Results . Our SPIOCs@HSA-RGD nanoplatform showed well biocompatibility and could target glioma specifically. Photothermal conversion and ROS burst were detected after continuous 808?nm light irradiation, and a significant antitumor effect was achieved. Conclusion . Experimental in vitro and in vivo evaluations showed that our photothermal-mediated chemo/CDT therapy could efficiently inhibit tumor growth and is therefore promising for cancer therapy.