One step assembly of ginsenoside Rb1-based nanovehicles with fast cellular transport in photothermal-chemical combined cancer therapy.

ABSTRACT

Nowadays, the research of photothermal-chemical co-therapy provides new ideas for the treatment of cancer. However, the harsh photothermal temperature hinders the clinical development of photothermal therapy. To ensure low-temperature photothermal-chemical combined therapy, a safe and feasible drug delivery system is highly desirable. Herein, through one step co-precipitation method, ginsenoside Rb1-based nanovehicles composed of the hydrophobic drug doxorubicin, the photochemical reagent Cypate and the heat shock protein inhibitor gambogic acid was prepared, resulting from the amphiphilicity and membrane permeability of Rb1. Encouragingly, this platform exhibited excellent biocompatibility and rapid cellular uptake, both of which led to significant and irreversible death of breast cancer cells under the trigger of short-term near-infrared light.