Biodegradable black phosphorus-based nanospheres for in vivo photothermal cancer therapy

Abstract

Photothermal therapy (PTT) offers many advantages such as high efficiency and minimal invasiveness, but clinical adoption of PTT nanoagents have been stifled by unresolved concerns such as the biodegradability as well as long-term toxicity. Herein, poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) loaded with black phosphorus quantum dots (BPQDs) is processed by an emulsion method to produce biodegradable BPQDs/PLGA nanospheres. The hydrophobic PLGA not only isolates the interior BPQDs from oxygen and water to enhance the photothermal stability, but also control the degradation rate of the BPQDs. The in vitro and in vivo experiments demonstrate that the BPQDs/PLGA nanospheres have inappreciable toxicity and good biocompatibility, and possess excellent PTT efficiency and tumour targeting ability as evidenced by highly efficient tumour ablation under near infrared (NIR) laser illumination. These BP-based nanospheres combine biodegradability and biocompatibility with high PTT efficiency, thus promising high clinical potential.

Black‐Phosphorus‐Incorporated Hydrogel as a Sprayable and Biodegradable Photothermal Platform for Postsurgical Treatment of Cancer

“…The BP nanosheets are prepared by a modified liquid exfoliation technique based on the method reported by our group previously49, 50 and characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and Raman scattering spectroscopy. As shown in Figure 1 a–e, the BP nanosheets have a uniform 2D sheet‐like morphology with an average lateral size of 288.3 ± 122.4 nm and thickness of 23.4 ± 8.2 nm according to the statistical analysis of 200 BP nanosheets.…”

Mitochondria‐Targeted Artificial “Nano‐RBCs” for Amplified Synergistic Cancer Phototherapy by a Single NIR Irradiation

“…PTT usually employs photothermal‐conversion agent (PTCA) to convert light into thermal energy for localized cancer hyperthermia under appropriate photoirradiation 2. Although PTT is effective for tumor ablation, it suffers from the possibility of tumor regrowth/reoccurrence caused by insufficient hyperthermia or uneven heat delivery within tumor region 3.…”

Polydopamine‐Modified Black Phosphorous Nanocapsule with Enhanced Stability and Photothermal Performance for Tumor Multimodal Treatments

“…Unlike graphene, which is a zero bandgap semiconductor,4 BP shows a layer‐dependent bandgap that spans from 0.3 eV (a bulk value) to ≈2.0 eV (a monolayer value),5 leading to a broad absorption across the ultraviolet and infrared regions. [[qv: 4b,6]] Moreover, due to a large NIR extinction coefficient and high photothermal conversion efficiency, BP is a promising nanomaterial for photothermal therapy (PTT) 6, 7. The final degradation products of BP are phosphate and phosphonate, both of which are nontoxic 8.…”