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An innovative single NIR light-triggered PTT and PDT nanoplatform from the conventional phototherapeutic agents of Ce6 and CuS NPs was achieved via a core–shell structure strategy. [Display omitted] Theranostic nanoplatforms integrating simultaneously photodynamic therapy (PDT) and photothermal therapy (PTT) exhibit intrinsic advantages in tumor therapy due to distinct mechanisms of action. However, it is challenging to achieve PDT and PTT under single near-infrared (NIR) laser irradiation with a nanoplatform utilizing conventional organic photodynamic agent and inorganic photothermal agent owing to the difference in inherent excitation wavelengths. Particularly, the single NIR light (660 nm)-triggered PTT and PDT nanoplatform, constructed from chlorin e6 (Ce6) and copper sulfide (CuS) nanoparticles (NPs), has never been reported. Herein, we, for the first time, designed and established a dual-modal phototherapeutic nanoplatform that achieved both PTT and PDT under single NIR laser (660 nm) irradiation for Ce6 and CuS NPs with the strategy of core–shell structured CuS@Carbon integrated with Ce6. Introducing of carbon shell not only endows small CuS NPs with excellent tumor accumulation, but also significantly strengthens the photothermal performance of CuS NPs, realizing efficient photothermal performance under 660 nm laser irradiation. Moreover, Ce6 in carbon shell endowed the nanoplatform with photodynamic effect under 660 nm laser irradiation. The as-prepared Ce6/CuS@Carbon nanoplatform thus achieved dual-modal phototherapy under single NIR laser irradiation, significantly inhibiting tumor growth with minimal adverse effects and superior biosafety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Targeting drug carrier systems based on graphene oxide (GO) are of great interest, since it can selectively deliver anticancer drugs to tumor cells, and enhance therapeutic activities with minimized side effects. However, direct grafting target molecules on GO usually results in aggregation of physiological fluid, limiting its biomedical applications. Here, we propose a new strategy to construct targeting GO drug carrier using folic acid grafted bovine serum albumin (FA-BSA) as both the stabilizer and targeting agent. FA-BSA decorated graphene oxide-based nanocomposite (FA-BSA/GO) was fabricated by the physical adsorption of FA-BSA on GO, which was developed as a targeting drug delivery carrier. FA-BSA/GO as the drug carrier was associated with anticancer drug doxorubicin (DOX) through π-π and hydrogen-bond interactions, resulting in high drug loading (up to 437.43 μg DOX/mg FA-BSA/GO). FA-BSA/GO/DOX systems demonstrated pH responsive and sustained drug release. The hemolysis ratio of FA-BSA/GO was less than 5%, demonstrating its safety as drug carrier for intravenous injection. Moreover, in vitro cell cytotoxicity and cellular uptake analysis suggested that the constructed FA-BSA/GO/DOX nanohybrids could significantly enhance the anticancer activity. The present work has confirmed the potential for fabrication of highly stable and dispersible GO-based targeting delivery systems for efficient cancer therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we successfully synthesized folate-modified pH-sensitive copolymer methoxy-poly(ethylene glycol) 2K -poly(ε-caprolactone) 4K -poly(glutamic acid) 1K (mPEG 2K -PCL 4K -PGA 1K -FA), which could form the polymeric assembly in an aqueous solution, for co-delivering hydrophilic drugs doxorubicin hydrochloride (DOX) and verapamil hydrochloride (VER) (FA-poly(DOX+VER)). Since VER was an effective P-glycoprotein inhibitor, the combination of DOX and VER could reverse the multidrug resistance efficiently and enhance the therapeutic effect. Therefore, the inhibition ratios of MCF-7/ADR resistant cancer cell treated by FA-poly (DOX+VER) were almost more than 30% higher than those of FA-polyDOX after 48 h and 72 h. Furthermore, the conjugation of FA could lead the co-delivery systems actively targeting into the FA receptor over-expressing cancer cells in addition to the passive accumulation of the assembly in tumor tissues. Importantly, the prepared mPEG 2K -PCL 4K -PGA 1K -FA assembly showed high pH-sensitive property, which made the drugs mostly released in tumor tissue (acid environment) than in physiological environment (neutral environment). In summary, the as-prepared co-delivery system FA-poly(DOX+VER) demonstrated a high efficiency in reversing the multidrug resistance and targeting FA receptor to improve the anticancer effect of DOX in MCF-7/ADR resistant cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]