Photothermal
therapy (PTT) is a promising tumor therapy strategy;
however, heterogeneous heat distribution over the tumor often exists,
resulting in insufficient photothermal ablation and potential risk
of cancer metastasis, which has been demonstrated to be associate
with platelets. Herein, a near-infrared (NIR) photothermal agent of
IR780 was conjugated with MRI agent of Gd-DOTA via a disulfide linkage
(ICD-Gd), which was coassembly with lipid connecting tumor-homing
pentapeptide CREKA (Cys-Arg-Glu-Lys-Ala) (DSPE-PEG-CREKA) to encapsulate
a platelet inhibitor of ticagrelor (Tic), affording a multistimuli-responsive
nanosystem (DPC@ICD-Gd-Tic). The nanosystem with completely quenching
fluorescence could specifically target the tumor-associated platelets
and showed pH/reduction/NIR light-responsive drug release, which simultaneously
resulting in dis-assembly of nanoparticle and fluorescence recovery,
enabling the drug delivery visualization in tumor in situ via activatable
NIR fluorescence/MR bimodal imaging. Finally, DPC@ICD-Gd-Tic further
integrated the photoinduced hyperthermia and platelet function inhibitor
to achieve synergistic anticancer therapy, leading to ablation of
primary tumor cells and effectively suppressed their distant metastasis.
The number of lung metastases in 4T1 tumor bearing mice was reduced
by about 90%, and the size of tumor was reduced by about 70%, while
half of the mouse was completely cured by this smart nanosystem.