Light‐Driven Biomimetic Nanomotors for Enhanced Photothermal Therapy

Abstract

Nanotechnology‐based strategy has recently drawn extensive attention for the therapy of malignant tumors due to its distinct strengths in cancer diagnosis and treatment. However, the limited intratumoral permeability of nanoparticles is a major hurdle to achieving the desired effect of cancer treatment. Due to their superior cargo towing and reliable penetrating property, micro‐/nanomotors (MNMs) are considered as one of the most potential candidates for the coming generation of drug delivery platforms. Here, near‐infrared (NIR)‐actuated biomimetic nanomotors (4T1‐JPGSs‐IND) are fabricated successfully and we demonstrate that 4T1‐JPGSs‐IND selectively accumulate in homologous tumor regions due to the effective homing ability. Upon laser irradiation, hyperthermia generated by 4T1‐JPGSs‐IND leads to self‐thermophoretic motion and photothermal therapy (PTT) to ablate tumors with a deep depth, thereby improving the photothermal therapeutic effect for cancer management. The developed nanomotor system with multifunctionalities exhibits promising potential in biomedical applications to fight against various diseases.

Transition-Metal-Based Nanozymes: Synthesis, Mechanisms of Therapeutic Action, and Applications in Cancer Treatment

“…PTT is considered a noninvasive therapeutic modality that utilizes photothermal agents to convert light energy into hyperthermia, thereby inducing apoptosis and necrosis in tumor cells. , Importantly, the localized elevation of temperature resulting from PTT significantly enhances the catalytic activity of nanozymes, thereby achieving augmented catalytic therapy. , For example, Yang et al developed Ti 3 C 2 T x -Pt-PEG nanocomposites, in which Pt was used as a POD-like nanozyme and Ti 3 C 2 T x served as a photothermal agent for photothermal enhanced catalytic therapy (Figure A) . The photothermal-conversion efficiency of Ti 3 C 2 T x -Pt-PEG nanocomposites was calculated to be 31.78%, demonstrating the superior photothermal performance of Ti 3 C 2 T x -Pt-PEG.…”

Nano/Micromotors for Cancer Diagnosis and Therapy: Innovative Designs to Improve Biocompatibility

“…When using nano/micromotors for cancer treatment, the disadvantage of traditional chemical propulsion modes is the unavoidable use of toxic fuel, which hinders their future in vivo application [ 16 , 19 ]. The use of natural enzymes for catalytic bubble production [ 20 , 21 ] and magnetic fields [ 22 , 23 ], ultrasound waves [ 24 , 25 ], or light [ 26 , 27 ] shows great promise in providing a biocompatible method for nano/micromotor propulsion. Another major factor that leads to biotoxicity may be the materials used to produce nano/micromotors.…”

TME-Triggered Degradable Phototheranostic Nanoplatform for NIR-II Fluorescence Bioimaging-Guided Phototherapies and Immune Activation

“…In recent years, phototherapies, including photodynamic therapy (PDT) and photothermal therapy (PTT), have attracted widespread attention and developed rapidly due to their advantages of spatial and temporal controllability and their minimal invasiveness. , PTT employs photothermal agents to locally ablate tumor cells via photothermal conversion under light irradiation with specific wavelengths . However, traditional organic photothermal agents like cyanines suffer from poor water solubility, lack of selectivity, and triggering heat shock protein (HSP) production in tumor cells under high temperatures, limiting PTT efficacy. − Fortunately, advances in nanotechnology have brought PTT a step closer to clinical applications, and nanocarriers such as polymers, liposomes, and vesicles have been widely used in the delivery of photothermal reagents to improve their water solubility. − Responsive functional nanocarriers further enhance PTT selectivity, offering promise for precise treatment. − …”