title: CuS nanoagents for photodynamic and photothermal therapies: Phenomena and possible mechanisms.
abstract: Photodynamic therapy (PDT) and photothermal therapy (PTT) have been emerging as attractive and promising methods for tumor treatment in clinical approaches. CuS nanoparticles are effective and cost-effective agents for PTT. Recently, it was observed that CuS nanoparticles are also excellence candidates for PDT. However, the mechanisms for CuS nanoparticles as PDT agents have never been discussed. The goal here is to explore the killing mechanisms of CuS nanoparticles as PTT and PDT agents. CuS nanoparticles were synthesized by a simple wet chemistry method by coating with amphiphilic polymer and examined for their therapeutic potential on lung adenocarcinoma cell line SPC-A-1 in vitro and in vivo using a murine cancer model. The CuS nanoparticles produce heat as well as reactive oxygen species (ROS) when excited by 808nm laser and show strong anticancer effects both in vitro and in vivo. The heating effects and release of copper ions from CuS upon heating in the tumor acidic environments are the main mechanisms for the generation of reactive oxygen species which are lethal bullets for cancer destruction. As a dual-function agent for PTT and PDT, CuS nanoparticles are promising phototherapy agents for cancer treatment.
authors.affiliation: The Guangdong Key Laboratory of Orthopaedic Technology and Implant Materials, Department of Orthopdics, Guangzhou General Hospital of Guangzhou Military Command, Guangzhou 510010, China.
authors.forename: Lihua
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Nano-Biophysics Lab, Department of Physics, University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX, USA.
authors.forename: Leila H
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Rashidi
authors.affiliation: The Guangdong Key Laboratory of Orthopaedic Technology and Implant Materials, Department of Orthopdics, Guangzhou General Hospital of Guangzhou Military Command, Guangzhou 510010, China.
authors.forename: Mengyu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yao
authors.affiliation: Nano-Biophysics Lab, Department of Physics, University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX, USA.
authors.forename: Lun
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.affiliation: The Guangdong Key Laboratory of Orthopaedic Technology and Implant Materials, Department of Orthopdics, Guangzhou General Hospital of Guangzhou Military Command, Guangzhou 510010, China.
authors.forename: Lingling
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, Beihang University, Beijing 10083, China.
authors.forename: Junying
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: The Guangdong Key Laboratory of Orthopaedic Technology and Implant Materials, Department of Orthopdics, Guangzhou General Hospital of Guangzhou Military Command, Guangzhou 510010, China. Electronic address: luck_2001@126.com.
authors.forename: Yu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Nano-Biophysics Lab, Department of Physics, University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX, USA. Electronic address: weichen@uta.edu.
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D003300:Copper / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004337:Drug Carriers / Q000737:chemistry; D005260:Female; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry*; D010778:Photochemotherapy / Q000379:methods*; D017319:Photosensitizing Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010789:Phototherapy / Q000379:methods; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D004337:Drug Carriers; D017319:Photosensitizing Agents; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; D003300:Copper; C017846:cupric sulfide
keywords: CuS nanoparticles; Heating; Photodynamic; Photothermal; Reactive oxygen species (ROS)