Polypyrrole Composite Nanoparticles with Morphology‐Dependent Photothermal Effect and Immunological Responses

Abstract

Polypyrrole composite nanoparticles with controlled shape are synthesized, which exhibit a morphology-dependent photothermal effect: the raspberry-like composite nanoparticles have a much better photothermal effect than the spherical ones, and the immune responses to the nanocomposites are also dependent on their morphology. The outstanding performance of the nanocomposites promises their potential application in photothermal therapy and immunotherapy of cancer.

Tailoring Biomaterials for Cancer Immunotherapy: Emerging Trends and Future Outlook

“…For instance, aluminum salts (alum) are known to elicit an immune response, and they are the only adjuvants approved for human vaccination so far. Other biomaterials, such as poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) scaffolds, [136,137] carbon nanotubes, [138] silica particles, [139,140] polypyrrole composite nanoparticles, [141] polyhydroxylated fullerenols, [142] conjugated polymers, [143] and iron oxide nanoparticles [144][145][146] can also generate innate immune responses and promote cellular immunity. [134,135] One possible mechanism of inducing the innate immune system is by creating an inflammatory microenvironment containing "danger signals" that activate the APCs.…”

Nuclear‐Targeted Multifunctional Magnetic Nanoparticles for Photothermal Therapy

“…To date, a broad range of materials, such as gold nanoarchitectures, carbon nanomaterials, and organic polymers (e.g., polydopamine, polypyrrole) have been investigated as PTT agents. Majority of these studies have focused on enhancing the photothermal efficacy of the nanoparticles by tuning their particle size, morphology, surface charge, and coating compositions (e.g., polydopamine, or polypyrrole). To achieve a high photothermal ablation effect, the NIR laser irradiation is typically applied in the tumor area after the photothermal agents having been accumulated in the tumor tissues.…”

Photoacoustic imaging and photothermal therapy in the second near-infrared window

“…The mechanism of PTT involves the adequate accumulation of photothermal (PT) agents within tumors, which then absorb near infrared (NIR) light and convert it into thermal energy to ablate localized tumor cells. [27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34] Currently, numerous materials have been employed as effective PT agents such as NIR dye, 35,36 polymer nanoparticles, 37,38 inorganic nanomaterials, [39][40][41] and organic nanomaterials. [42][43][44] However, despite their excellent PT effect, the strong background signal, short tissue penetration, and low SNR of NIR-I window nanomaterials still limit their further application in imaging-guided cancer treatment.…”