Synthesis of Methotrexate-Loaded Dumbbell-Shaped Titanium Dioxide/Gold Nanorods Coated with Mesoporous Silica and Decorated with Upconversion Nanoparticles for Near-Infrared-Driven Trimodal Cancer Treatment

Abstract

This study prepared dumbbell-shaped titanium dioxide (TiO2)/gold nanorods (AuNRs) coated with mesoporous silica shells (mS) (AuNRs-TiO2@mS). Methotrexate (MTX) was further loaded into the AuNRs-TiO2@mS, and then upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) were decorated to form AuNRs-TiO2@mS-MTX: UCNP nanocomposites. TiO2 is used as an intense photosensitizer (PS) to produce cytotoxic reactive oxygen species (ROS), leading to photodynamic therapy (PDT). Concurrently, AuNRs exhibited intense photothermal therapy (PTT) effects and photothermal conversion efficiency. In vitro results suggested that these nanocomposites can kill oral cancer cells (HSC-3) without toxicity through irradiation of NIR laser, owing to the synergistic effect. The in vivo studies indicated that these nanocomposites exhibited excellent antitumor effects through synergistic PDT/PTT/chemotherapy under a near-infrared (NIR) 808 nm laser irradiation. Thus, these AuNRs-TiO2@mS: UCNP nanocomposites have great potential to undergo deep tissue penetration with enhanced synergistic effects through NIR-triggered light for cancer treatment.

Near-infrared-driven upconversion nanoparticles with photocatalysts through water-splitting towards cancer treatment

“…It exhibits physical/chemical stability, low cost, non-toxicity, enhanced photocatalytic activity, excellent optical/electronic properties, intense photostability, photon absorption, and charge separation/recombination. 57,147–152 It is extensively used in various applications, including energy storage, catalysis, biomedicine, and electronics. It also has an intense photo-killing capacity for cancer cells.…”

Methotrexate-Loaded Surface-Modified Solid Lipid Nanoparticles Targeting Cancer Expressing COX-2 Enzyme

“…MET being dihydrofolate inhibitor is extensively used for the treatment of various malignancies, such as lymphoma, leukemia, and sarcoma . Indeed MET exhibits therapeutic effects on a variety of cancer cells with overexpressed folate receptors. − MET has been popularly used in breast, lung, cervical, and skin cancers. − However, its limited water solubility (0.1 mg/mL) results in poor bioavailability . In order to increase drug solubility, minimize side effects, and thereby enhance the therapeutic efficacy of MET, researchers have employed nanoparticle-based drug delivery systems (DDS), including liposomes, micelles, dendrimers, polymeric nanoparticles, and solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs). − MET-loaded polymeric micelles have been proposed in the literature for the treatment of RA. , In recent literature, polymer-based nanoparticles have been utilized for the formulation of MET. , More recently, Dang and co-workers have successfully formulated a folic acid-targeted and dual stimuli-responsive polymer-based nanocarrier for MET delivery for the treatment of RA .…”