A combination of chemotherapy and photothermal therapy has emerged as a promising strategy for cancer therapy. To ensure the chemotherapeutic drug and photothermal agent could be simultaneously delivered to a tumor region to exert their synergistic effect, a safe and efficient delivery system is highly desirable. Herein, we fabricated doxorubicin (DOX) and indocyanine green (ICG) loaded poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA)-lecithin-polyethylene glycol (PEG) nanoparticles (DINPs) using a single-step sonication method. The DINPs exhibited good monodispersity, excellent fluorescence/size stability, and consistent spectra characteristics compared with free ICG or DOX. Moreover, the DINPs showed higher temperature response, faster DOX release under laser irradiation, and longer retention time in tumor. In the meantime, the fluorescence of DOX and ICG in DINPs was also visualized for the process of subcellular location in vitro and metabolic distribution in vivo. In comparison with chemo or photothermal treatment alone, the combined treatment of DINPs with laser irradiation synergistically induced the apoptosis and death of DOX-sensitive MCF-7 and DOX-resistant MCF-7/ADR cells, and suppressed MCF-7 and MCF-7/ADR tumor growth in vivo. Notably, no tumor recurrence was observed after only a single dose of DINPs with laser irradiation. Hence, the well-defined DINPs exhibited great potential in targeting cancer imaging and chemo-photothermal therapy.

No abstract

Folic acid (FA)-targeted indocyanine green (ICG)-loaded nanoparticles (NPs) (FA-INPs) were developed to a near-infrared (NIR) fluorescence theranostic nanoprobe for targeted imaging and photothermal therapy of cancer. The FA-INPs with good monodispersity exhibited excellent size and fluorescence stability, preferable temperature response under laser irradiation, and specific molecular targeting to MCF-7 cells with FA receptor overexpression, compared to free ICG. The FA-INPs enabled NIR fluorescence imaging to in situ monitor the tumor accumulation of the ICG. The cell survival rate assays in vitro and photothermal therapy treatments in vivo indicated that FA-INPs could efficiently targeted and suppressed MCF-7 cells and xenograft tumors. Hence, the FA-INPs are notable theranostic NPs for imaging-guided cancer therapy in clinical application.

No abstract