title: Multifunctional Rbx WO3 nanorods for simultaneous combined chemo-photothermal therapy and photoacoustic/CT imaging.
abstract: Light-triggered drug delivery based on near-infrared (NIR)-mediated photothermal nanocarriers has received tremendous attention for the construction of cooperative therapeutic systems in nanomedicine. Herein, a new paradigm of light-responsive drug carrier that doubles as a photothermal agent is reported based on the NIR light-absorber, Rb(x) WO3 (rubidium tungsten bronze, Rb-TB) nanorods. With doxorubicin (DOX) payload, the DOX-loaded Rb-TB composite (Rb-TB-DOX) simultaneously provides a burst-like drug release and intense heating effect upon 808-nm NIR light exposure. MTT assays show the photothermally enhanced antitumor activity of Rb-TB-DOX to the MCF-7 cancer cells. Most remarkably, Rb-TB-DOX combined with NIR irradiation also shows dramatically enhanced chemotherapeutic effect to DOX-resistant MCF-7 cells compared with free DOX, demonstrating the enhanced efficacy of combinational chemo-photothermal therapy for potentially overcoming drug resistance in cancer chemotherapy. Furthermore, in vivo study of combined chemo-photothermal therapy is also conducted and realized on pancreatic (Pance-1) tumor-bearing nude mice. Apart from its promise for cancer therapy, the as-prepared Rb-TB can also be employed as a new dual-modal contrast agent for photoacoustic tomography and (PAT) X-ray computed tomography (CT) imaging because of its high NIR optical absorption capability and strong X-ray attenuation ability, respectively. The results presented in the current study suggest promise of the multifunctional Rb(x)WO3 nanorods for applications in cancer theranostics.
authors: College of Chemistry, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610064, P. R. China; Key Laboratory for Biomedical Effects of Nanomaterials and Nanosafety, Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, P. R. China.
authors: Gan
authors: G
authors: Tian
authors: Xiao
authors: X
authors: Zhang
authors: Xiaopeng
authors: X
authors: Zheng
authors: Wenyan
authors: W
authors: Yin
authors: Longfei
authors: L
authors: Ruan
authors: Xiaodong
authors: X
authors: Liu
authors: Liangjun
authors: L
authors: Zhou
authors: Liang
authors: L
authors: Yan
authors: Shoujian
authors: S
authors: Li
authors: Zhanjun
authors: Z
authors: Gu
authors: Yuliang
authors: Y
authors: Zhao
mesh_terms: D000903:Antibiotics, Antineoplastic / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D004317:Doxorubicin / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D006801:Humans; D007259:Infrared Rays; D061986:MCF-7 Cells; D043942:Nanotubes; D061088:Photoacoustic Techniques; D010789:Phototherapy; D012413:Rubidium / Q000737:chemistry*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014414:Tungsten / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D000903:Antibiotics, Antineoplastic; D004317:Doxorubicin; D012413:Rubidium; D014414:Tungsten
keywords: NIR light-responsive drug delivery; RbxWO3; dual-modal bioimaging; synergy; theranostics.