Polydopamine Nanomaterials for Overcoming Current Challenges in Cancer Treatment

Abstract

In efforts to overcome current challenges in cancer treatment, multifunctional nanoparticles are attracting growing interest, including nanoparticles made with polydopamine (PDA). PDA is a nature-inspired polymer with a dark brown color. It has excellent biocompatibility and is biodegradable, offering a range of extraordinary inherent advantages. These include excellent drug loading capability, photothermal conversion efficiency, and adhesive properties. Though the mechanism of dopamine polymerization remains unclear, PDA has demonstrated exceptional flexibility in engineering desired morphology and size, easy and straightforward functionalization, etc. Moreover, it offers enormous potential for designing multifunctional nanomaterials for innovative approaches in cancer treatment. The aim of this work is to review studies on PDA, where the potential to develop multifunctional nanomaterials with applications in photothermal therapy has been demonstrated. Future prospects of PDA for developing applications in enhancing radiotherapy and/or immunotherapy, including for image-guided drug delivery to boost therapeutic efficacy and minimal side effects, are presented.

Nano-based drug delivery system for therapeutics: a comprehensive review

“…Passive targeting, mainly through the EPR effect, enables the drug by macrophages as a foreign body immediately after entering into the human body to reduce nonspecific binding with non-target sites and reach the targeted sites for selective binding [103]. Drug carriers, such as liposomes, mainly transport the drugs through passive targeting [104]. Mitra et al [105] embedded the Adriamycin glucan complex as long-circulating nanoparticles.…”

Polydopamine Nanosystems in Drug Delivery: Effect of Size, Morphology, and Surface Charge

“…Briefly, they designed a self-polymerization process of dopamine and a spontaneous co-assembly of diblock copolymer micelles [83]. The synthesis of PDA nanocapsules, first developed by Caruso et al in 2011 [84], is based on the coating of a PDA layer on the surface of a template, such as silica, MOFs, polystyrene, or emulsion droplets, followed by the template removal [85,86]. The kind of template and the reaction conditions allow for tuning the size of the capsules and the thickness of the PDA shell [86].…”

Bioinspired Approaches for Central Nervous System Targeted Gene Delivery

“…Furthermore, they possess diagnostic functionalities, enabling real-time monitoring of dopamine levels within the brain. 108,109 4.9. Bioinspired Microbubbles and Nanobubbles.…”

“…These polymeric nanoparticles are capable of encapsulating and controlled release of dopamine, effectively mitigating the symptoms associated with PD. Furthermore, they possess diagnostic functionalities, enabling real-time monitoring of dopamine levels within the brain. , …”