High‐Security Nanocluster for Switching Photodynamic Combining Photothermal and Acid‐Induced Drug Compliance Therapy Guided by Multimodal Active‐Targeting Imaging

• Published in: Advanced functional materials Vol. 28; no. 36
• Main Authors: Cheng, Kai, Yang, Xiao‐Quan, Zhang, Xiao‐Shuai, Chen, Jun, An, Jie, Song, Yuan‐Yang, Li, Cheng, Xuan, Yang, Zhang, Ruo‐Yun, Yang, Chun‐Hua, Song, Xian‐Lin, Zhao, Yuan‐Di, Liu, Bo
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Hoboken Wiley Subscription Services, Inc 05.09.2018
• Subjects: active‐targeting; Compliance; controlled photodynamic therapy; Doxorubicin; drug compliance; Drug delivery systems; Fluorescence; Materials science; multimodal imaging; Nanoclusters; Photodynamic therapy; photothermal therapy; Security; Toxicity; Tumors
• ISSN: 1616-301X; 1616-3028
• DOI: 10.1002/adfm.201803118

High‐security nanoplatform with enhanced therapy compliance is extremely promising for tumor. Herein, using a simple and high‐efficient self‐assembly method, a novel active‐targeting nanocluster probe, namely, Ag2S/chlorin e6 (Ce6)/DOX@DSPE‐mPEG2000‐folate (ACD‐FA) is synthesized. Experiments indicate that ACD‐FA is capable of specifically labeling tumor and guiding targeting ablation of the tumor via precise positioning from fluorescence and photoacoustic imaging. Importantly, the probe is endowed with a photodynamic “on‐off” effect, that is, Ag2S could effectively quench the fluorescence of chlorin e6 (89.5%) and inhibit release of 1O2 (92.7%), which is conducive to avoid unwanted phototoxicity during transhipment in the body, and only after nanocluster endocytosed by tumor cells could release Ce6 to produce 1O2. Moreover, ACD‐FA also achieves excellent acid‐responsive drug release, and exhibits eminent chemo‐photothermal and photodynamic effects upon laser irradiation. Compared with single or two treatment combining modalities, ACD‐FA could provide the best cancer therapeutic effect with a relatively low dose, because it made the most of combined effect from chemo‐photothermal and controlled photodynamic therapy, and significantly improves the drug compliance. Besides, the active‐targeting nanocluster notably reduces nonspecific toxicity of both doxorubicin and chlorin e6. Together, this study demonstrates the potency of a newly designed nanocluster for nonradioactive concomitant therapy with precise tumor‐targeting capability. A multifunctional nanoprobe Ag2S/Ce6/DOX@DSPE‐mPEG2000‐folate can specifically label tumor via precise positioning from fluorescence and photoacoustic imaging, which guide targeting ablation of tumor combined effect of chemo‐photothermal and controlled photodynamic therapy. In the process, the probe minimizes the administration dose as much as possible while achieving effective therapeutic effect, reducing nonspecific toxicity, and improving drug compliance.