title: Carrier-Free, Chemophotodynamic Dual Nanodrugs via Self-Assembly for Synergistic Antitumor Therapy.
abstract: There are tremendous challenges from both tumor and its therapeutic formulations affecting the effective treatment of tumor, including tumor recurrence, and complex multistep preparations of formulation. To address these issues, herein a simple and green approach based on the self-assembly of therapeutic agents including a photosensitizer (chlorine e6, Ce6) and a chemotherapeutic agent (doxorubicin, DOX) was developed to prepare carrier-free nanoparticles (NPs) with the ability to inhibit tumor recurrence. The designed NPs were formed by self-assembly of Ce6 and DOX associated with electrostatic, π-π stacking and hydrophobic interactions. They have a relatively uniform size of average 70 nm, surface charge of -20 mV and high drug encapsulation efficiency, which benefits the favorable accumulation of drugs at the tumor region through a potential enhanced permeability and retention (EPR) effect as compared to their counterpart of free Ce6 solution. In addition, they could eradiate tumors without recurrence in a synergistic way following one treatment cycle. Furthermore, the NPs are safe without any activation of inflammation or immune response in separated organs. Taken together, the rationale of these pure nanodrugs via the self-assembly approach might open an alternative avenue and give inspiration to fabricate new carrier-free nanodrugs for tumor theranostics, especially for two small molecular antitumor drugs with the aim of combinational antitumor therapy in a synergistic way.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Metastable Materials Science and Technology, Yanshan University , Qinhuangdao 066004, China.|Hebei Key Laboratory of Applied Chemistry, School of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Yanshan University , Qinhuangdao 066004, China.
authors.forename: Ruiyun
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Metastable Materials Science and Technology, Yanshan University , Qinhuangdao 066004, China.|Hebei Key Laboratory of Applied Chemistry, School of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Yanshan University , Qinhuangdao 066004, China.|State Key Laboratory of Biochemical Engineering, Institute of Process Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences , Beijing 100190, China.
authors.forename: Ruirui
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Xing
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Metastable Materials Science and Technology, Yanshan University , Qinhuangdao 066004, China.|Hebei Key Laboratory of Applied Chemistry, School of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Yanshan University , Qinhuangdao 066004, China.
authors.forename: Tifeng
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Jiao
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Metastable Materials Science and Technology, Yanshan University , Qinhuangdao 066004, China.|Hebei Key Laboratory of Applied Chemistry, School of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Yanshan University , Qinhuangdao 066004, China.
authors.forename: Kai
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Biochemical Engineering, Institute of Process Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences , Beijing 100190, China.|Center for Mesoscience, Institute of Process Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences , Beijing 100190, China.
authors.forename: Chengjun
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Biochemical Engineering, Institute of Process Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences , Beijing 100190, China.
authors.forename: Guanghui
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Biochemical Engineering, Institute of Process Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences , Beijing 100190, China.|Center for Mesoscience, Institute of Process Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences , Beijing 100190, China.
authors.forename: Xuehai
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Yan
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000138:chemical synthesis* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D004317:Doxorubicin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D004337:Drug Carriers / Q000138:chemical synthesis* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000592:standards; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D061986:MCF-7 Cells; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry*; D000068936:Theranostic Nanomedicine
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D004337:Drug Carriers; D004317:Doxorubicin
keywords: antitumor therapy; codelivery; nanodrugs; photodynamic therapy; self-assembly