Recent Advances in Upconversion Nanoparticles‐Based Multifunctional Nanocomposites for Combined Cancer Therapy

Abstract

Lanthanide-doped upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) have the ability to generate ultraviolet or visible emissions under continuous-wave near-infrared (NIR) excitation. Utilizing this special luminescence property, UCNPs are approved as a new generation of contrast agents in optical imaging with deep tissue-penetration ability and high signal-to-noise ratio. The integration of UCNPs with other functional moieties can endow them with highly enriched functionalities for imaging-guided cancer therapy, which makes composites based on UCNPs emerge as a new class of theranostic agents in biomedicine. Here, recent progress in combined cancer therapy using functional nanocomposites based on UCNPs is reviewed. Combined therapy referring to the co-delivery of two or more therapeutic agents or a combination of different treatments is becoming more popular in clinical treatment of cancer because it generates synergistic anti-cancer effects, reduces individual drug-related toxicity and suppresses multi-drug resistance through different mechanisms of action. Here, the recent advances of combined therapy contributed by UCNPs-based nanocomposites on two main branches are reviewed: i) photodynamic therapy and ii) chemotherapy, which are the two most widely adopted therapies of UCNPs-based composites. The future prospects and challenges in this emerging field will be also discussed.

A multifunctional nanoplatform for lysosome targeted delivery of nitric oxide and photothermal therapy under 808 nm near-infrared light

“…24,25 NO-hybrid composites that combine NO to existing drugs such as photosensitizing agents used in photodynamic therapy might afford an advantage of combining the effects of NO with the benefits of drugs to overcome tumor cell resistance to conventional therapeutic agents. 17,18,26,27 Photothermal therapy (PTT), which is based on the principle of converting light energy into heat to generate hyperthermia, is another promising effective treatment for tumor necrosis because of its high selectivity and noninvasiveness.…”

Functionalized nanoparticles and applications

“…[4][5][6][7][8][9] When functionalized with appropriate surface moieties gold nanoparticles can enter living cells, which makes them attractive candidates for their use as therapeutic agents. [10] One promising surface modification is DNA.…”

Highly Enhanced Cooperative Upconversion Luminescence through Energy Transfer Optimization and Quenching Protection

“…[7][8][9][10] In general, the main investigations on lanthanide-based upconversion nanoparticle activators are confined to a few rare-earth ions (Er 3+ , Tm 3+ and Ho 3+ ) with proper intermediary energy states to match the sensitizer Yb 3+ . [11][12][13] Few articles exist on achieving efficient upconversion emission from other rare-earth ions such as Tb 3+ and Eu 3+ .…”