Photoacoustic Imaging Endometriosis Lesions with Nanoparticulate Polydopamine as a Contrast Agent.

Endometriosis (EM) is a prevalent and debilitating gynecological disorder primarily affecting women of reproductive age. The diagnosis of EM is historically hampered by delays, owing to the absence of reliable diagnostic and monitoring techniques. Herein, it is reported that photoacoustic imaging can be a noninvasive modality for deep-seated EM by employing a hyaluronic-acid-modified polydopamine (PDA@HA) nanoparticle as the contrast agent. The PDA@HA nanoparticles exhibit inherent absorption and photothermal effects when exposed to near-infrared light, proficiently converting thermal energy into sound waves. Leveraging the targeting properties of HA, distinct photoacoustic signals emanating from the periphery of orthotopic EM lesions are observed. These findings are corroborated through anatomical observations and in vivo experiments involving mice with green fluorescent protein-labeled EM lesions. Moreover, the changes in photoacoustic intensity over a 24 h period reflect the dynamic evolution of PDA@HA nanoparticle biodistribution. Through the utilization of a photoacoustic ultrasound modality, in vivo assessments of EM lesion volumes are conducted. This innovative approach not only facilitates real-time monitoring of the therapeutic kinetics of candidate drugs but also obviates the need for the sacrifice of experimental mice. As such, this study presents a promising avenue for enhancing the diagnosis and drug-screening processes of EM.

Facile synthesis of hollow mesoporous nickel sulfide nanoparticles for highly efficient combinatorial photothermal-chemotherapy of cancer.

Traditional techniques for the synthesis of nickel sulfide (NiS) nanoparticles (NPs) always present drawbacks of morphological irregularity, non-porous structure and poor long-term stability, which are extremely unfavorable for establishing effective therapeutic agents. Here, a category of hollow mesoporous NiS (hm-NiS) NPs with uniform spherical structure and good aqueous dispersity were innovatively developed based on a modified solvothermal reaction technique. Upon the successful synthesis of hm-NiS NPs, dopamine was seeded and in situ polymerized into polydopamine (PDA) on the NP surface, followed by functionalization with thiol-polyethylene glycol (SH-PEG) and encapsulation of the chemotherapeutic drug, doxorubicin (DOX), to form hm-NiS@PDA/PEG/DOX (NiPPD) NPs. The resultant NiPPD NPs exhibited a decent photothermal response and stability, attributed to the optical absorption of the hm-NiS nanocore and PDA layer in the near-infrared (NIR) region. Furthermore, stimulus-responsive drug release was achieved under both acidic pH conditions and NIR laser irradiation, owing to the protonation of -NH2 groups in the DOX molecules and local thermal shock, respectively. Lastly, a strong combinatorial photothermal-chemotherapeutic effect was demonstrated for tumor suppression with minimal systemic toxicity in vivo. Collectively, this state-of-the-art paradigm may provide useful insights to deepen the application of hm-NiS NPs for disease management and precision medicine.

Phase-Change Material Packaged within Hollow Copper Sulfide Nanoparticles Carrying Doxorubicin and Chlorin e6 for Fluorescence-Guided Trimodal Therapy of Cancer.

Environmental stimuli, including pH, light, and temperature, have been utilized for activating controlled drug delivery to achieve efficient antitumor therapeutics while minimizing undesirable side effects. In this study, a multifunctional nanoplatform based on hollow mesoporous copper sulfide nanoparticles (H-CuS NPs) was developed by loading the interior cavity of the NPs with a drug-loaded phase-change material (PCM, 1-tetradecanol). Doxorubicin (DOX) and chlorin e6 (Ce6) were selected as the model chemotherapeutic drug and photosensitizer, respectively, which were encapsulated in H-CuS NPs via the PCM to form H-CuS@PCM/DOX/Ce6 (HPDC) NPs. When exposed to near infrared laser irradiation, this nanocomplex could produce a strong photothermic effect and thus induce the controlled release of DOX and Ce6 from the melting PCM. Subsequently, the DOX-mediated chemotherapeutic effect and Ce6-mediated photodynamic effect further contributed to enhanced tumor eradication. The efficacy of this multimodal cancer treatment combining chemo-, photothermal, and photodynamic therapies was systematically evaluated both in vitro and in vivo using a 4T1 mouse mammary tumor cell line and a mouse model bearing breast cancer. Moreover, this nanoplatform exhibited minimal systemic toxicity and good hemocompatibility and may provide an effective strategy for the delivery of multiple therapeutic agents and application of multimodal cancer treatments.