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A Small Molecule Nanodrug by Self-Assembly of Dual Anticancer Drugs and Photosensitizer for Synergistic near-Infrared Cancer Theranostics
Version 3 2017-12-07, 13:05
Version 2 2017-12-06, 14:03
Version 1 2017-12-06, 13:12
journal contribution
posted on 2017-11-24, 00:00 authored by Yan Guo, Kai Jiang, Zhichun Shen, Guirong Zheng, Lulu Fan, Ruirui Zhao, Jingwei ShaoPhototherapy
including photodynamic therapy (PDT) and photothermal therapy (PTT)
has attracted great attention. However, applications of some photosensitizers
remain an obstacle by their poor photostability. To enhance the treatment
efficiency of photosensitizers and tumor theranostic effect, herein,
we reported a novel carrier-free, theranostic nanodrug by self-assembly
of small molecule dual anticancer drugs and photosensitizer for tumor
targeting. The developed carrier-free small molecule nanodrug delivery
system was formed by hydrophobic ursolic acid, paclitaxel, and amphipathic
indocyanine green (ICG) associated with electrostatic, π–π
stacking, and hydrophobic interactions exhibiting water stability.
The self-assembling of ICG on the dual anticancer nanodrug significantly
enhanced water solubility of hydrophobic anticancer drugs and ICG
photostability contributing to long-term near-infrared (NIR) fluorescence
imaging and effective chemophototherapy of tumor. The in vivo NIR
fluorescence imaging showed that the theranostic nanodrug could be
targeted to the tumor site via a potential enhanced permeability and
retention effect proving the efficient accumulation of nanoparticles
in the tumor site. Dramatically, chemophototherapy of tumor-bearing
mice in vivo almost completely suppressed tumor growth and no tumor
recurrence was observed. Encouraged by its carrier-free, prominent
imaging and effective therapy, the small molecule nanodrug via self-assembly
will provide a promising strategy for synergistic cancer theranostics.