The development of novel photosensitizing agents with aggregation-induced emission (AIE) properties has fueled significant advances in the field of photodynamic therapy (PDT). An electroporation method was used to prepare tumorexocytosed exosome/AIE luminogen (AIEgen) hybrid nanovesicles (DES) that could facilitate efficient tumor penetration. Dexamethasone was then used to normalize vascular function within the tumor microenvironment (TME) to reduce local hypoxia, therebys ignificantly enhancing the PDT efficacy of DES nanovesicles,a nd allowing them to effectively inhibit tumor growth. The hybridization of AIEgen and biological tumor-exocytosed exosomes was achieved for the first time, and combined with PDT approaches by normalizing the intratumoral vasculature as am eans of reducing local tissue hypoxia. This work highlights anew approach to the design of AIEgen-based PDT systems and underscores the potential clinical value of AIEgens.
Multifunctional
gold (Au)-based nanomaterials with high atomic
number (symbol Z) and strong absorbance in the second near-infrared
window (NIR-II) property are emerging as promising candidates for
tumor thermo-radiotherapy. The main limitations of applying Au-based
nanomaterials to biomedical studies include the absence of active
tumor-targeting ability, penetrating efficiency, and stability. In
this study, we present a novel type of tumor cell-derived stellate
plasmonic exosomes (TDSP-Exos) for penetrative targeted tumor NIR-II
thermo-radiotherapy and photoacoustic imaging. The TDSP-Exos are abundantly
and easily produced by the incubation of tumor cells with gold nanostars,
based on which gold nanostars promote the exocytosis of exosomes from
tumor cells. Compared with bare gold nanostars, the TDSP-Exos exhibit
pronounced accumulation in deep tumor tissues and perform well in
both PA imaging and NIR-II thermo-radiotherapy against the tumor.
Moreover, the TDSP-Exos improve tumor hypoxia to enhanced radiotherapy
by NIR-II photothermal therapy. This work indicates that the tumor
cell-derived exosomes have the potential to function as a universal
carrier of photothermal agents for targeted tumor NIR-II thermo-radiotherapy.
Recently, RBC membrane coated nanoparticles have attracted much attention because of their excellent immune escape ability; meanwhile, Au nanocages (AuNs) have been extensively used for cancer therapy due to its photothermal effect and drug delivery capability. The combination of RBC membrane coating and Au nanocages may provide an effective approach for targeted cancer therapy. However, few reports have shown the utilization of combining these two technologies. Here, we present the development of Erythrocyte membrane-coated Gold nanocages for targeted cancer photothermal and chemical therapy. First, anti-EpCam antibodies are used to modify RBC membranes to target 4T1 cancer cells. Second, the antitumor drug paclitaxel is encapsulated into AuNs. Then, the AuNs are coated with the modified RBC membranes. This new nanoparticles are termed EpCam-RPAuNs. We characterize the capability of EpCam-RPAuNs for selective tumor targeting via exposure to the near-infrared irradiation. Experimental results demonstrate that EpCam-RPAuNs can effectively generate hyperthermia and precisely deliver the antitumor drug PTX to targeted cells. We also validate the biocompatibility of our EpCam-RPAuNs in vitro. By combining the targeting moleculars modified RBC membrane and AuNs, our approach provides a new way to design biomimetic nanoparticles to enhance the surface functionality of nanoparticles. We believe that EpCam-RPAuNs can be potentially applied for cancer diagnoses and therapies.
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