Photothermal switch by gallic acid-calcium grafts synthesized by coordination chemistry for sequential treatment of bone tumor and regeneration.

The residual bone tumor and defects which is caused by surgical therapy of bone tumor is a major and important problem in clinicals. And the sequential treatment for irradiating residual tumor and repairing bone defects has wildly prospects. In this study, we developed a general modification strategy by gallic acid (GA)-assisted coordination chemistry to prepare black calcium-based materials, which combines the sequential photothermal therapy of bone tumor and bone defects. The GA modification endows the materials remarkable photothermal properties. Under the near-infrared (NIR) irradiation with different power densities, the black GA-modified bone matrix (GBM) did not merely display an excellent performance in eliminating bone tumor with high temperature, but showed a facile effect of the mild-heat stimulation to accelerate bone regeneration. GBM can efficiently regulate the microenvironments of bone regeneration in a spatial-temporal manner, including inflammation/immune response, vascularization and osteogenic differentiation. Meanwhile, the integrin/PI3K/Akt signaling pathway of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) was revealed to be involved in the effect of osteogenesis induced by the mild-heat stimulation. The outcome of this study not only provides a serial of new multifunctional biomaterials, but also demonstrates a general strategy for designing novel blacked calcium-based biomaterials with great potential for clinical use.

Rational construction of CQDs-based targeted multifunctional nanoplatform for synergistic chemo-photothermal tumor therapy.

Photothermal therapy combined with chemotherapy has shown great promise in the treatment of cancer. In this synergistic system, a safe, stable, and efficient photothermal agent is desired. Herein, an effective photothermal agent, carbon quantum dots (CQDs), was initially synthesized and then rationally constructed a folic acid (FA)-targeted photothermal multifunctional nanoplatform by encapsulating CQDs and the anticancer drug doxorubicin (DOX) in the liposomes. Indocyanine green (ICG), a near infrared (NIR) photothermal agent, approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, was embedded in the bilayer membrane to further enhance the photothermal effects and facilitate the rapid cleavage of liposomes for drug release. Triggered by the NIR laser, this engineered photothermal multifunctional nanoplatform, not only exhibited an excellent performance with the photothermal conversion efficiency of up to 47.14%, but also achieved controlled release of the payloads. In vitro, and in vivo experiments demonstrated that the photothermal multifunctional nanoplatform had excellent biocompatibility, enhanced tumor-specific targeting, stimuli-responsive drug release, effective cancer cell killing and tumor suppression through multi-modal synergistic therapy. The successful construction of this NIR light-triggered targeted photothermal multifunctional nanoplatform will provide a promising strategy for the design and development of synergistic chemo-photothermal combination therapy and improve the therapeutic efficacy of cancer treatment.

Photothermal nanocomposite reactivate "immune-hot" for triple-negative breast cancer treatment via glutamine metabolism reprograming.

Herein, a photothermal nanocomposite PAI@CB839 nanoparticles (NPs) was constructed to perform a heat-immune therapy for triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). Firstly, a photothermal agent animated IR780 was modified on a mPEG-NH2 using 4,4'-dicarboxylazobenzene as a linker. The synthesized PAI exhibited superior photothermal efficiency of the IR780 even after assembling in water. As a functional carrier, PAI was used to load and deliver the glutaminase inhibitor CB839 to tumor tissue. In the hypoxic environment of tumor cells, the azo bond would break, triggering the release of cargo. Upon irradiation, the outstanding photothermal properties of IR780 resulted in tumor cell damage. This process could promote immunogenic cell death and program tumor to "immune-hot" condition. Concurrently, CB839 strengthened the antitumor immune response by remodulating the immunosuppressive TME through disturbing Glu abnormal metabolism, which further inhibited TNBC growth and metastasis. In conclusion, PAI@CB839 NPs exhibited great antitumor efficiency, which pave a new way for TNBC therapeutic regimen development.

Reprogramming the Tumor Immune Microenvironment Through Activatable Photothermal Therapy and GSH depletion Using Liposomal Gold Nanocages to Potentiate Anti-Metastatic Immunotherapy.

Cancer immunotherapy offers significant clinical benefits for patients with advanced or metastatic tumors. However, immunotherapeutic efficacy is often hindered by the tumor microenvironment's high redox levels, leading to variable patient outcomes. Herein, a therapeutic liposomal gold nanocage (MGL) is innovatively developed based on photo-triggered hyperthermia and a releasable strategy by combining a glutathione (GSH) depletion to remodel the tumor immune microenvironment, fostering a more robust anti-tumor immune response. MGL comprises a thermosensitive liposome shell and a gold nanocage core loaded with maleimide. The flexible shell promotes efficient uptake by cancer cells, enabling targeted destruction through photothermal therapy while triggering immunogenic cell death and the maturation of antigen-presenting cells. The photoactivated release of maleimide depletes intracellular GSH, increasing tumor cell sensitivity to oxidative stress and thermal damage. Conversely, GSH reduction also diminishes immunosuppressive cell activity, enhances antigen presentation, and activates T cells. Moreover, photothermal immunotherapy decreases elevated levels of heat shock proteins in tumor cells, further increasing their sensitivity to hyperthermia. In summary, MGL elicited a robust systemic antitumor immune response through GSH depletion, facilitating an effective photothermal immunotherapeutic strategy that reprograms the tumor microenvironment and significantly inhibits primary and metastatic tumors. This approach demonstrates considerable translational potential and clinical applicability.

An Injectable Photothermal-Fusing Hydrogel: Achieving Temperature-Controllable Mild Photothermal Therapy to Reverse Chemotherapy-Induced Immune Tolerance.

Mild photothermal therapy (M-PTT) can induce immunogenic cell death (ICD) to reverse the immune tolerance caused by low-dose chemotherapy. However, it still needs convenient strategies to control temperature during M-PTT. In this work, the phase change material lauric acid (LA, melting point 43 °C) was introduced to construct nanoparticles loaded with deferoxamine mesylate (DFO) and cisplatin (CDDP), which were mixed into a supramolecular hydrogel formed by polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP)/tannic acid (TA)/Fe3+ to obtain FeTP@DLD/DLC. When the temperature reached 43 °C under laser irradiation, DFO was released from melted LA and destroyed the interaction between Fe3+ and TA to cut off the temperature increase, achieving a "photothermal fusing effect". Meanwhile, CDDP was released for low-dose chemotherapy, while the resulting immune tolerance was reversed by M-PTT-induced ICD. Finally, through a single administration, FeTP@DLD/DLC-mediated M-PTT synergized with chemotherapy achieved a potent antitumor effect. This work provided a convenient solution for the revitalization of these traditional antitumor therapies.

Gold nanorods as biocompatible nano-agents for the enhanced photothermal therapy in skin disorders.

Rod-shaped gold nanomaterials, known as gold nanorods (GNRs), may undergo specific surface alterations, because of their straightforward surface chemistry. This feature makes them appropriate for use as functional and biocompatible nano-formulations. By optimizing the absorption of longitudinally localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) in the near-infrared (NIR) region, which corresponds to the NIR bio-tissue window, GNRs with appropriate modifications may improve the results of photothermal treatment (PTT). In dermatology, potential noninvasive uses of GNRs to enhance wound healing, manage infections, combat cutaneous malignancies, and remodel skin tissues via PTT have attracted research attention in recent years. In this review, the basic properties of GNRs, such as shape, size, optical performance, photothermal efficiency, and metabolism, are discussed firstly. Then, the disadvantages of using these particles in photodynamic therapy (PDT) are proposed. Next, biological applications of GNRs-based PTT are summarized in detail. Finally, the limitations and future perspectives of this research are summarized, providing a comprehensive outlook for prospective GNRs with PTT.

Photothermal amplified multizyme activity for synergistic photothermal-catalytic tumor therapy.

Nano-enzymatic catalytic therapy has been widely explored as a promising tumor therapeutic method with specific responsiveness to the tumor microenvironment (TME). However, the inherent lower and simplex catalytic efficiency impairs their anti-tumor efficacy. Therefore, developing novel nanozymes with relatively high and multiple catalytic characteristics, simultaneously enhancing the enzyme-like activity of nanozymes using the proper method, photothermal promoted catalytic property, is a reliable way. In this paper, we report a manganese oxide/nitrogen-doped carbon composite nanoparticles (MnO-N/C NPs) with multi-enzyme mimetic activity and photothermal conversional effect. The peroxidase (POD)-like/oxidase (OXD)-like/catalase (CAT)-like activity of MnO-N/C nanozymes was accelerated upon exposure to an 808 nm NIR laser. In vitro and in vivo results proved that the MnO-N/C NPs shown excellent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) guided synergistic photothermal-enhanced catalytic treatment and photothermal therapy of liver cancer. The photothermal enhanced multi-enzyme activity maximizes the efficacy of catalytic and photothermal therapy while reducing harm to healthy cells, thereby offering valuable insights for the development of next-generation photothermal nanozymes to enhance tumor therapy.

Bismuth-based mesoporous nanoball carrying sorafenib for synergistic photothermal and molecularly-targeted therapy in an orthotopic hepatocellular carcinoma xenograft mouse model.

Sorafenib (SOR), a multi-kinase inhibitor for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), has limited clinical application due to severe side effects and drug resistance. To overcome these challenges, we developed a bismuth-based nanomaterial (BOS) for thermal injury-assisted continuous targeted therapy in HCC. Initially, the mesoporous nanomaterial was loaded with SOR, forming the BOS@SOR nano-carrier system for drug delivery and controlled release. Notably, compared to targeted or photothermal therapy alone, the combination therapy using this nano-carrier system significantly impaired cell proliferation and increased apoptosis. In vivo efficacy evaluations demonstrated that BOS@SOR exhibited excellent biocompatibility, confirmed through hemolysis and biochemical analyses. Additionally, BOS@SOR enhanced contrast in computed tomography, aiding in the precise identification of HCC size and location. The photothermal therapeutic properties of bismuth further contributed to the synergistic anti-tumor activity of BOS@SOR, significantly reducing tumor growth in an orthotopic xenograft HCC model. Taken together, encapsulating SOR within a bismuth-based mesoporous nanomaterial creates a multifunctional and environmentally stable nanocomposite (BOS@SOR), enhancing the therapeutic effect of SOR and presenting an effective strategy for HCC treatment.

GSH responsive AuNRs@TFF nanotheranostic for NIR-II photoacoustic imaging-guided CDT/PTT synergistic cancer therapy.

Gold nanorods (AuNRs) are important photothermal therapeutic agents; however, a single therapy does not achieve satisfactory outcomes, and the synthesis process often leads to the adsorption of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide on the surface of AuNRs, which reduces its biocompatibility. Natural polyphenols are abundant in natural plants and have good biocompatibility. The metal-polyphenol network is formed by the coordination of metal ions and polyphenols, which has good drug loading, surface adhesion, and biocompatibility. In this study, the metal-polyphenol network structure formed by a transition metal (iron) and natural polyphenol tannic acid was used to modify the surface of gold nanorods (AuNRs@TF). Additionally, the surfaces of AuNRs were modified using the targeted functional molecule mercapto folic acid (AuNRs@TFF). The constructed composite nanomaterials AuNRs@TFF has good biocompatibility and tumor targeting ability. Tannic acid­iron degrades in the tumor microenvironment and releases iron ions that catalyze the Fenton reaction, thereby facilitating chemodynamic therapy. The good photo-thermal ability of AuNRs generate good photoacoustic signals to facilitate photoacoustic imaging mediation and enhances photothermal and chemodynamic therapy performance. This study expands on the application of AuNRs in the field of nanomedicine. The simple and effective design of AuNRs@TFF provides a strategy for the development of synergistic therapeutic agents for photothermal therapy and chemodynamic therapy.

One-Pot Synthesis of Fe-Norepinephrine Nanoparticles for Synergetic Thermal-Enhanced Chemodynamic Therapy.

Chemodynamic therapy (CDT) is an innovative and burgeoning strategy that utilizes Fenton-Fenton-like chemistry and specific microenvironments to produce highly toxic hydroxyl radicals (•OH), with numerous methods emerging to refine this approach. Herein, we report a coordination compound, Fe-norepinephrine nanoparticles (Fe-NE NPs), via a one-pot synthesis. The Fe-NE NPs are based on ferrous ions (Fe2+) and norepinephrine, which are capable of efficient Fe2+/Fe3+ delivery. Once internalized by tumor cells, the released Fe2+/Fe3+ exerts the Fenton reaction to specifically produce toxic •OH. Moreover, the internal photothermal conversion ability of Fe-NE NPs allows us to simultaneously introduce light to trigger local heat generation and then largely improve the Fenton reaction efficiency, which enables a synergetic photothermal and chemodynamic therapy to realize satisfactory in vivo antitumor efficiency. This proof-of-concept work offers a promising approach to developing nanomaterials and refining strategies for enhanced CDT against tumors.

Spacer Twisting Strategy to Realize Ultrabright Near-Infrared II Polymer Nanoparticles for Fluorescence Imaging-Guided Tumor Phototheranostics.

Conjugated polymers are becoming popular near-infrared II (NIR-II) phototheranostic agents (PTAs) due to their numerous advantages, such as high photostability, large molar extinction coefficients, and excellent photothermal properties. However, the strong π-π interactions between the chains of the conjugated polymers resulted in their generally low NIR-II emission quantum yields (QY). Therefore, the synthesis of conjugated polymers with high QY is an interesting but challenging task. Herein, we proposed a spacer twisting strategy to realize ultrabright NIR-II polymer nanoparticles for fluorescence imaging-guided tumor phototheranostics. Theoretical calculations indicated that the polymer PY-IT has the largest dihedral angle between the largely π-conjugated skeleton and the spacer, which can effectively inhibit intermolecular π-π stacking, resulting in an improved QY as high as 16.5% in nanoparticles. In addition, PY-IT NPs can effectively perform NIR-II imaging and photothermal treatment of tumors. The work presents some valuable guides for achieving ultrabright NIR-II polymeric PTAs with high QY.

Melanin-intercalated layered double hydroxide LDH/MNP as a stable photothermal agent.

Melanin nanoparticles (MNPs) are a type of electronegative compound that can be used as photothermal agent for cancer treatment. Nevertheless, the agglomeration of MNP, which is one of the limitations in practice, contributes to the instability of MNP. Pristine layered double hydroxide (LDH), as a kind of positive inorganic material when there exist no other cargo between its layers, can accommodate electronegative molecules between its layers to endow them with stable properties. Hence, in this study, electronegative MNP was intercalated into LDH lamellas via ion-exchange method to obtain the stable original photothermal agent LDH/MNP, solving the tough problem of MNP's agglomeration. The surface morphology, X-ray diffraction and fourier transform infrared spectra affirmed the successful intercalation of MNP between LDH lamellas. The Z-average particle sizes of LDH/MNP on day 0, 7 and 14 were measured as 221.8 nm, 227.6 nm and 230.5 nm without obvious fluctuation, while the particle sizes of MNP went through dramatic enlargement from 105.8 nm (day 0) to 856.1 nm (day 7), indicating the better stability of LDH/MNP than MNP. The typical polymer dispersity index (PDI) values on day 0, 7 and 14 verified the better stability of LDH/MNP, too. Photothermal properties of LDH/MNP were assessed and the results ensured the representative photothermal properties of LDH/MNP. The fine cytocompatibility of LDH/MNP was verified via cytotoxicity test. Results confirmed that the agglomeration of MNP disappeared after its intercalation into LDH and LDH/MNP possessed fine stability as well as typical photothermal property. The intercalation of MNP into LDH gave the photothermal agent MNP a promising way for its better stability and long-term availability in photothermal treatment.

Generating Immunological Memory Against Cancer by Camouflaging Gold-Based Photothermal Nanoparticles in NIR-II Biowindow for Mimicking T-Cells.

Photothermal therapy (PTT) against cancer not only directly ablates tumors but also induces tumor immunogenic cell death (ICD). However, the antitumor immune response elicited by ICD is insufficient to prevent relapse and metastasis because of the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME). A biomimetic nanoplatform (bmNP) mimicking cytotoxic lymphocytes (CTLs) for combinational photothermal-immunotherapy to effectively regulate the immunosuppressive TME is reported here. The bmNP is constructed by wrapping the T-cell membrane onto a new type of photothermal agents, spherical Au-based PNCs (sAuPNCs). Similar to T-cells, the bmNP enhanced accumulation at the tumor site by targeting the tumor via adhesion proteins on T-cell membrane. The obtained sAuPNCs have a wide absorption band in the second near-infrared (NIR-II) region with a high photothermal conversion efficiency (PCE) up to about 75% and excellent photostability. The bmNP with a smaller size is more superior compete with T-cells to bond with tumor cells via PD-1/PD-L1 interaction to effectively block the PD-1 checkpoint of T-cells for preventing T-cell exhaustion. Furthermore, in vivo studies reveal the immunological memory effect is significantly elicited in mice received bmNPs therapy. Collectively, bmNPs show great potential in photothermal-enhanced immunotherapy.

Autophagy Blockage Enhancing Photothermal and Chemodynamic Synergistic Therapy Based on HCQ/CuS Nanoplatform.

As an intracellular protective mechanism, autophagy has the potential to significantly impair the therapeutic effects of photothermal therapy (PTT) and chemodynamic therapy (CDT), which helps cancer cells survive under harsh conditions, such as high temperature and reactive oxygen species (ROS). In this study, an autophagy blockage enhanced PTT and CDT synergistic therapy nanoplatform is constructed by loading hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) with autophagy inhibitory effect into hollow copper sulfide (HCuS). Specifically, HCuS produces toxic ROS through Fenton-like reaction in the tumor microenvironment (TME). At the same time, PTT-mediated temperature elevation of the tumor region accelerates the Fenton-like reaction and ROS production, enhancing the therapeutic effect of CDT. Furthermore, the internal autophagy inhibitor HCQ significantly blocks the fusion of autophagosomes and lysosomes by deacidifying lysosomes, cutting off the self-protection mechanism of cancer cells, and amplifying the combined treatment of PTT and CDT. Both in vitro and in vivo results demonstrate that the combination of photothermal-enhanced chemodynamic therapy with inhibition of autophagy provides new insights into designing multifunctional therapeutic nanoagents.

Precision Photothermal Therapy at Mild Temperature: NIR-II Imaging-Guided, H2O2-Responsive Stealth Nanobomb.

The therapeutic efficacy of photothermal therapy (PTT) under mild temperatures (<45 °C) is hindered as cancer cells can activate heat shock proteins (HSPs) to mend fever-type cellular damage swiftly. The previous attempt fabricated first-generation nanobombs (nanobomb1G) by self-assembly of polymeric NIR-II AIEgens and carbon monoxide (CO) carrier polymer mPEG(CO) to inhibit the expression of HSPs after intratumor injection. A new generation nanobomb (Stealth NanoBomb (SNB)) is developed by self-assembling small molecular NIR-II AIEgens with CO carrier polymer PLGA(CO) coated by PEG-lipid. This design allows for intravenous administration, enabling the SNB to circulate safely in the bloodstream and selectively target cancer cells. Upon accumulation in tumors, the SNB releases CO to effectively suppress HSP expression, enhancing the therapeutic efficacy of mild-temperature PTT. Compared to the previous generation, the SNB offers a safer, more stable, and more efficient CO gas/drug co-delivery system for cancer treatment. This work represents a significant advancement in PTT, providing a promising strategy for enhanced antitumor therapy with reduced systemic toxicity.

Photoacoustic thermal-strain measurement towards noninvasive and accurate temperature mapping in photothermal therapy.

Photothermal therapy is a promising tumor treatment approach that selectively eliminates cancer cells while assuring the survival of normal cells. It transforms light energy into thermal energy, making it gentle, targeted, and devoid of radiation. However, the efficacy of treatment is hampered by the absence of accurate and noninvasive temperature measurement method in the therapy. Therefore, there is a pressing demand for a noninvasive temperature measurement method that is real-time and accurate. This article presents one such attempt based on thermal strain photoacoustic (PA) temperature measurement. The method was first modelled, and a circular array-based photoacoustic photothermal system was developed. Experiments with Indian ink as tumor simulants suggest that the temperature monitoring in this work achieves a precision of down to 0.3 °C. Furthermore, it is possible to accomplish real-time temperature imaging, providing accurate two-dimensional temperature mapping for photothermal therapy. Experiments were also conducted on human fingers and nude mice, validating promising potentials of the proposed method for practical implementations.

Combination of Losartan and Platinum Nanoparticles with Photothermal Therapy Induces Immunogenic Cell Death Effective Against Neuroblastoma.

Introduction: Photothermal therapy (PTT) is a promising therapeutic procedure with minimal side effects, which can not only kill tumor directly but also cause immunogenic cell death (ICD). However, most solid tumors, including neuroblastoma, are abundant in fibroblasts, which limit the penetration and delivery of nanoparticles. Losartan is an antihypertensive drug approved by the FDA, and it has been proved to have the effect of breaking down excessive ECM network. Methods: In this study, we investigated the application and potential mechanism of the combination of mesoporous platinum nanoparticles (MPNs) and losartan in the PTT of neuroblastoma by establishing neuroblastoma models in vitro and in vivo. Results: Compared to the MPNs group without 808 nm laser irradiation, Neuro-2a cells pretreated with PTT and losartan showed lower survival rates, increased surface calreticulin, and higher release of HMGB1 and ATP. The group also exhibited the highest anti-tumor efficacy in vivo, with a tumor suppression ratio of approximately 80%. Meanwhile, we found that CD3+ T cells, CD4+ T cells and CD8+ T cells from the peripheral blood of experimental group mice were significantly higher than control groups, and CD8+PD-1+ cells were significantly lower than those in MPNs + Los group and Los + laser group. And the expression of PD-1 and α-SMA in Neuro-2a tumors tissue was reduced. Furthermore, losartan could reduce damage of liver function caused by MPNs and laser treatment. Conclusion: This study demonstrated that losartan-induced fibroblasts ablation increased the penetration of MPNs into tumors. Enhanced penetration allowed PTT to kill more tumor cells and synergistically activate immune cells, leading to ICD, indicating the great promise of the strategy for treating neuroblastoma in vivo.

Dual-activity nanozyme as an oxygen pump to alleviate tumor hypoxia and enhance photodynamic/ NIR-II photothermal therapy for sniping oral squamous cell carcinoma.

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is the most common malignant tumor in the head and neck region, and its treatment is limited by hypoxia and inadequate oxygen supply. Continuous oxygen delivery combined with photodynamic therapy (PDT) is the key to addressing this issue. Here, a dual-enzyme activity sea urchin-like Au@Pt-Ce6-HN-1 nanoplatform was designed to serve as an "oxygen pump" to alleviate tumor hypoxia for synergistic photodynamic/photothermal therapy (PTT). In this design, the photosensitizer chlorin e6 (Ce6) is covalently linked to the Au@Pt nanozyme for PDT treatment. The Au@Pt nanozyme exhibits catalase-like activity, continuously decomposing H2O2 in the tumor microenvironment to enhance O2 levels, thereby achieving efficient PDT. Furthermore, Au@Pt can perform PTT and increase oxygen levels under NIR-II light to further promote PDT. The Au@Pt nanozyme also exhibits peroxidase-like activity, generating ·OH for chemodynamic therapy (CDT). Additionally, HN-1 guides the direction of "sniping" OSCC, and its high specificity benefits Au@Pt-Ce6-HN-1 at the tumor site. Au@Pt-Ce6-HN-1 exhibits bright fluorescence (FL), strong CT signal, and photothermal imaging capabilities, laying the foundation for subsequent guided PDT/PTT. This nanoplatform, which combines advantages such as continuous oxygen production, tumor targeting, and multimodal imaging, is expected to provide valuable insights into the treatment of OSCC. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: Accurate clinical diagnosis and treatment of OSCC are challenging. We report a dual-enzyme activity sea urchin-like Au@Pt-Ce6-HN-1 nanoplatform, serving as an "oxygen pump" to guide photodynamic therapy (PDT) and photothermal therapy (PTT) for OSCC. This nanoplatform targets OSCC for preoperative CT diagnosis and offers fluorescence visualization for surgical navigation, demonstrating potential in clinical cancer detection and surgery guidance. This innovative approach addresses OSCC hypoxia and enhances treatment efficacy through continuous oxygen production, tumor targeting, and multimodal imaging, significantly improving patient outcomes in OSCC treatment.

Photovoltaic Molecule-Based Phototheranostics With A-D-A Structure for Near-Infrared Fluorescence Imaging-Guided Synergetic Photodynamic and Photothermal Therapy of Tumors.

Phototheranostics with near-infrared fluorescence and reactive oxygen species generation ability and high photothermal conversion efficiency (PCE) plays a significant role in fluorescence imaging-guided synergetic photodynamic and photothermal therapy of tumors. Here, a star molecule in organic photovoltaic materials, NCBDT-4C with an A-D-A conjugated structure, was assembled with DSPE-PEG-NH2 to prepare water dispersive nanoparticles (NPs). The prepared NCBDT-4Cl NPs exhibited a maximum NIR absorption peak at 764 nm and a maximum fluorescence peak at 798 nm. These NPs could generate superoxide anion, singlet oxygen (1O2), and heat under 808 nm laser irradiation. The 1O2 generation quantum yield and PCE of the NPs were 37.5% and 53.6%, respectively. The combination of photodynamic and photothermal therapy of cancer was demonstrated in vitro and in vivo. This work presents the advanced application of organic photovoltaic materials in cancer phototherapy.

Nanotechnology for boosting ovarian cancer immunotherapy.

Ovarian cancer, often referred to as the "silent killer," is notoriously difficult to detect in its early stages, leading to a poor prognosis for many patients. Diagnosis is often delayed until the cancer has advanced, primarily due to its ambiguous and frequently occurring clinical symptoms. Ovarian cancer leads to more deaths than any other cancer of the female reproductive system. The main reasons for the high mortality rates include delayed diagnosis and resistance to treatment. As a result, there is an urgent need for improved diagnostic and treatment options for ovarian cancer. The standard treatments typically involve debulking surgery along with platinum-based chemotherapies. Among patients with advanced-stage cancer who initially respond to current therapies, 50-75% experience a recurrence. Recently, immunotherapy-based approaches to enhance the body's immune response to combat tumor growth have shown promise. Immune checkpoint inhibitors have shown promising results in treating other types of tumors. However, in ovarian cancer, only a few of these inhibitors have been effective because the tumor's environment suppresses the immune system and creates barriers for treatment. This hampers the effectiveness of existing immunotherapies. Nonetheless, advanced immunotherapy techniques and delivery systems based on nanotechnology hold promise for overcoming these challenges.