Berberine-loaded Janus gold mesoporous silica nanocarriers for chemo/radio/photothermal therapy of liver cancer and radiation-induced injury inhibition

• Published in: International journal of nanomedicine Vol. 14; pp. 3967 - 3982
• Main Authors: Li, Xiao-Dong, Wang, Zheng, Wang, Xin-Rui, Shao, Dan, Zhang, Xi, Li, Li, Ge, Ming-Feng, Chang, Zhi-Min, Dong, Wen-Fei
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New Zealand Dove Medical Press Limited 01.01.2019; Dove; Dove Medical Press
• Subjects: Alkaloids; Animals; Au MSNs; Berberine; Berberine - pharmacology; Berberine - therapeutic use; Cancer; Cancer treatment; Cell Death - drug effects; Cell Line, Tumor; Chemotherapy; Drug Carriers - chemistry; Drug Delivery Systems; Folic acid; Gold - chemistry; Health aspects; Humans; Hyperthermia, Induced; Ionizing radiation; Janus; Kidney - drug effects; Kidney - physiopathology; Liver - drug effects; Liver - physiopathology; Liver cancer; Liver Neoplasms - drug therapy; Liver Neoplasms - therapy; Male; Mice, Nude; Mutual fund industry; Nanoparticles - chemistry; Nanoparticles - ultrastructure; Novels; Original Research; Particle Size; Phototherapy; photothermal therapy; Porosity; Protective Agents - pharmacology; Protective Agents - therapeutic use; Radiation (Physics); Radiation Injuries - prevention & control; Radiation Injuries - therapy; radio-sensitization; Radiotherapy; Silicon dioxide; Silicon Dioxide - chemistry; Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared; Static Electricity; Temperature; Toxicity; Tumors; China; Berberine; Au MSNs; Janus; chemotherapy; radio-sensitization; photothermal therapy
• ISSN: 1178-2013; 1176-9114; 1178-2013
• DOI: 10.2147/IJN.S206044

The combination of chemotherapy with radiotherapy serves as a common therapeutic strategy in clinics. However, it is unsatisfactory due to its poor therapeutic efficiency and severe side-effects originating from chemotherapy-exerted systemic toxicity as well as radiation-induced injury. Hence, Berberine (Ber), an isoquinolin alkaloid with low toxicity and protective effects against radiotherapy, was used as a novel chemotherapeutic agent for chemo-radiotherapy of liver cancer.  We preloaded Ber into folic acid targeting Janus gold mesoporous silica nanocarriers (FA-JGMSNs) for overcoming the poor bioavailability of Ber. Furthermore, FA-JGMSNs were not only employed as radiosensitizers for expanding radiotherapeutic effect, but also used as photothermal agents for supplementing chemo-radiotherapeutic effect by local photothermal therapy.  In vitro and in vivo experiemtal results demonstrated the highly efficient anti-tumor effect, good biosafety as well as the effective protection of normal tissue of this nanoplatform.  Based on its superb performance, we believe our work provided a feasible strategy for triple-therapies of liver cancer.