Biomimetic polyphenol-coated nanoparticles by Co-assembly of mTOR inhibitor and photosensitizer for synergistic chemo-photothermal therapy

• Published in: Colloids and surfaces, B, Biointerfaces B, Biointerfaces, 2022-01, Vol.209 (Pt 2), p.112177-112177, Article 112177
• Main Authors: Le, Jing-Qing, Yang, Fang, Yin, Meng-Die, Zhao, Rui-Rui, Zhang, Bing-Chen, Li, Chao, Lin, Juan-Fang, Fang, Yi-Fan, Lin, Yu-Ting, Shao, Jing-Wei
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Assemble; Biomimetics; Cell Line, Tumor; Chemo-phototherapy; HeLa Cells; Humans; Hyperthermia, Induced; Indocyanine Green; Mice; Nanoparticles; Photosensitizer; Photosensitizing Agents; Phototherapy; Photothermal Therapy; Polyphenols; Rapamycin; Solvent exchange; TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases
• ISSN: 0927-7765; 1873-4367
• DOI: 10.1016/j.colsurfb.2021.112177

Rapamycin (RAPA) functions as effectively clinical immunosuppressive agent, its significant tumor growth suppression effect via various pathways in diverse cancers, especially combined with photothermal therapy, is gaining a burgeoning attention. However, its critical defects, low solubility and poor stability, have severely hampered its further application. Herein, RAPA, indocyanine green (ICG) and epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) serving as chemotherapeutic drug, photosensitizer and biomimetic coatings, respectively, were co-assembled into carrier-free, high biocompatible ICG-RAPA-EGCG nanoparticles (IRE NPs) for synergistic cancer therapy. Particularly, the bioinspired EGCG coatings not only improved the stability of IRE NPs under physiological conditions to avert NPs disassembly and drug release, but also maintained the photostability of ICG to achieve excellent photothermal response. The results indicated that the as-prepared IRE NPs displayed good monodispersity and enhanced stability at various stored media after introducing of EGCG. Compared with monotherapy of RAPA or ICG, IRE NPs showed higher dose-dependent toxicity in MCF-7 cells, HepG2 cells and HeLa cells, especially plus near-infrared laser irradiation. Furthermore, IRE NPs exhibited quicker uptake in cells, higher accumulation in tumor region (even in 48 h) than free ICG and effectively inhibited tumor growth without side effect in H22 tumor-bearing mice. Collectively, the carrier-free IRE NPs provided a simply alternative approach to fabricate RAPA/photosensitizer co-loaded nanoparticles for combinatorial tumor therapy. [Display omitted] •Carrier free IRE NPs give optional avenue to design RAPA/ photosensitizer system for cancer therapy.•IRE NPs show good monodispersity and enhanced stability after introducing of biomimetic coatings.•IRE NPs show higher dose-dependent toxicity in cells, especially plus NIR laser irradiation.•IRE NPs exhibit higher accumulation in cells and tumor region than free ICG.