Black Phosphorus-Based Drug Nanocarrier for Targeted and Synergetic Chemophotothermal Therapy of Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia

Abstract

As one of the novel two-dimensional nanomaterials, black phosphorus nanosheets (BP NS) have been proven to be excellent carrier materials for drugs, owing to their fine optical properties and biocompatibility. In this work, a composite drug nanocarrier based on BP NS is proposed, which can perform a synergetic and targeted chemophotothermal therapy of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). First, BP NS were prepared by an improved liquid exfoliation technique. Then, polyethylene glycol (PEG) was modified on the surfaces of BP NS through electrostatic adsorption. Drug molecules can also be loaded onto the BP NS via electrostatic adsorption. The PEG layer can effectively protect the interior BP NS from water and air to enhance their physiological stability. The obtained PEGylated BP NS (BP NS@PEG) not only demonstrated an excellent photothermal conversion efficiency and photothermal stability but also exhibited a good pH and photothermal dual-responsive drug release behavior. In addition, the BP NS@PEG were further modified with Sgc8 aptamers through covalent bonding. The aptamers provided an efficient specificity toward ALL cells (CCRF-CEM) and greatly increased the endocytosis of the nanocarriers through a receptor-mediated manner, which can further improve the therapeutic effect. Hence, the presented BP NS-based multifunctional nanocarrier can achieve a targeted and synergetic chemophotothermal therapy of ALL, which shows a promising potential in improving the curative efficiency.

Recent Advances on Black Phosphorus for Biomedicine and Biosensing

“…The colocalization experiment showed that macropinocytosis and caveolae‐dependent pathways were the main ways of the internalization of PEGylated BP nanosheets into cancer cells, which provided some essential guidance for understanding the BP‐based cancer theranostics. The covalent bonding of Sgc8 aptamer on BP nanosheets@PEG attained the highly specific recognition toward the acute lymphoblastic leukemia, and enhanced the endocytosis of drug carriers into cells by a receptor‐mediated manner . The combination of both PTT of PEGylated BP nanosheets and chemotherapy of DOX triggered the remarkable tumor‐inhibited effect.…”

Black phosphorus-based 2D materials for bone therapy

“…For example, Zong et al prepared a drug nanocarrier based on BP nanosheets modified by PEG through electrostatic adsorption, which can enhance the stability of bare BP nanosheets and work as a synergetic and targeted chemophotothermal platform for treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) ( Fig. 2 ) [ 76 ]. Liang et al designed a vesicular preparation of BPQDs coated with red blood cell membranes (RBCM), which can induce apoptosis of breast cancer cells in situ by NIR laser irradiation, thereby mobilizing the immune system to eliminate residual and metastatic cancer cells ( Fig.…”

Recent Advances in Chemical Functionalization of 2D Black Phosphorous Nanosheets

“…Liquid phase exfoliated BPNSs can possess a negative zeta potential, which renders it possible to noncovalently functionalize BPNSs with positively charged species (e.g., small molecules, polymers) through electrostatic interactions . For instance, Sabherwal and co‐workers employed nanostructured BP as a platform in an electrochemical sensor for the detection of Myoglobin (Mb), a cardiac disease biomarker.…”

“…To passivate BPNSs and maintain its functions, effective functionalization strategies must be performed. The outstanding biocompatibility and biodegradability of functionalized BPNSs in physiological environment makes them attractive and promising for wide bioapplications in photodynamic therapy and photothermal therapy, tissue engineering, biosensors, and bioimaging . Qiu et al have developed a new concept of light activation of BPNSs based hydrogel for cancer therapy .…”