Fabrication of PEGylated Fe@Bi₂S₃ nanocomposites for dual-mode imaging and synergistic thermoradiotherapy

Abstract

Nanocomposites for integrating imaging and therapy have attracted tremendous attention for biomedical applications. Herein, Fe@Bi2S3 nanocomposites modified with polyethylene glycol (PEG) molecules are fabricated for synergistic thermoradiotherapy. For such nanocomposites, Bi2S3 exhibits a strong absorbance in the near-infrared (NIR) region, which allows Bi2S3 to convert energy from light into heat for effective photothermal therapy (PTT), whereas Bi can also significantly enhance radio-mediated cell death induction as a radiotherapy sensitizer due to its high atomic number (high-Z). Most importantly, it is found that the combination of PTT and radiation therapy (RT), using PEGylated Fe@Bi2S3 nanocomposites, can bring a strong synergistic effect for the tumor treatment in in vitro and in vivo experiments. Besides, the magnetic Fe core and the Bi2S3 shell components endow this nanocomposite with an ability to serve as both a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT) contrast agent. Therefore, our work presents a new type of multifunctional nanocomposite with the potential for synergistic thermoradiotherapy and simultaneously MRI/CT imaging.

Photothermal conversion performance and acid-induced aggregation of PLNP-Bi2S3 composite nanoplatforms

“…The increased absorbance at 635 nm can be attributed to the presence of Bi 2 S 3 nanoparticles in the PLNP-Bi 2 S 3 composite nanoplatforms leading to the absorption in the range of 600–900 nm. 7,14,28 From the FTIR spectra of the PLNP-Bi 2 S 3 composite nanoplatforms before and after the surface modification of PSS molecules as shown in Fig. 4f, it can be found that, for the PSS modified composite nanoplatforms, the absorption peak around 1156 cm −1 appears, suggesting the existence of the SO groups ( i.e.…”

Recent progress of magnetic nanoparticles in biomedical applications: A review

“…[ 274 ] Recently MNP without gold coating has also been proposed in the literature. [ 275 ] Li et al., proposed Fe@Bi 2 S 3 nanocomposites modified with polymer molecules. [ 275 ] Although the primary goal of their research was to use these MNPs for thermoradiotherapy, the MNPs showed strong potential for imaging applications.…”

“…[ 275 ] Li et al., proposed Fe@Bi 2 S 3 nanocomposites modified with polymer molecules. [ 275 ] Although the primary goal of their research was to use these MNPs for thermoradiotherapy, the MNPs showed strong potential for imaging applications. [ 275 ] The magnetic core of Fe and the Bi 2 S 3 shell components have the capability to serve as a contrasting agent for MRI‐CT imaging modes.…”

“…[ 275 ] The magnetic core of Fe and the Bi 2 S 3 shell components have the capability to serve as a contrasting agent for MRI‐CT imaging modes. [ 275 ]…”

Pnictogen Semimetal (Sb, Bi)-Based Nanomaterials for Cancer Imaging and Therapy: A Materials Perspective

“…The facile decomposition of Bi 2 S 3 nanoparticles onto 2D materials ( e.g. , molybdenum disulfide, graphene oxide) or at the outer surface of nanoparticles − could also highly boost cancer theranostic outcomes. Cheng et al recently reported three heterostructures based on bismuth sulfide, including Bi 2 S 3 –Au NRs, Bi 2 S 3 @Bi NRs, and BPZPs (Bi 2 S 3 -zinc protoporphyrin IX) .…”