Dual-targeted and MRI-guided photothermal therapy via iron-based nanoparticles-incorporated neutrophils

Jing Wang; Tianxiao Mei; Yang Liu; Yifan Zhang; Ziliang Zhang; Yihui Hu; Yibin Wang; Minliang Wu; Chuanxue Yang; Xiangdong Zhong; Bingdi Chen; Zheng Cui; Wenjun Le; Zhongmin Liu

doi:10.1039/D1BM00127B

Dual-targeted and MRI-guided photothermal therapy via iron-based nanoparticles-incorporated neutrophils†

Jing Wang,‡^a Tianxiao Mei,‡^a Yang Liu,^a Yifan Zhang,^a Ziliang Zhang,^a Yihui Hu,^a Yibin Wang,^b Minliang Wu,^c Chuanxue Yang,^a Xiangdong Zhong,^a Bingdi Chen,

*^a Zheng Cui,^d Wenjun Le

*^a and Zhongmin Liu

*^a

Author affiliations

* Corresponding authors

^a Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Shanghai East Hospital, The Institute for Biomedical Engineering & Nano Science, School of Medicine & School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
E-mail: inanochen@tongji.edu.cn, wenjunle@tongji.edu.cn, liu.zhongmin@tongji.edu.cn

^b Department of Radiology, Shanghai East Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200092, China

^c Department of Plastic Surgery, Changhai Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai 200433, China

^d Departments of Pathology, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC 27157, USA

Abstract

Nanoparticle-mediated photothermal therapy (PTT) has shown promising capability for tumor therapy through the high local temperature at the tumor site generated by a photothermal agent (PTA) under visible or near-infrared (NIR) irradiation. Improving the accumulation of PTA at the tumor site is crucial to achieving effective photothermal treatment. Here, we developed temperature-activatable engineered neutrophils (Ne) by combining indocyanine green (ICG)-loaded magnetic silica NIR-sensitive nanoparticles (NSNP), which provide the potential for dual-targeted photothermal therapy. The combined effect of neutrophil targeting and magnetic targeting increased the accumulation of PTA at the tumor site. According to magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), the retention of intravenous injected NSNP-incorporated neutrophils within the tumor site was markedly augmented as compared to free NSNP. Furthermore, when irradiated by NIR, NSNP could cause a high local temperature at the tumor site and the thermal stimulation of neutrophils. The heat can kill tumor cells directly, and also lead to the death of neutrophils, upon which active substances with tumor-killing efficacy will be released to kill residual tumor cells and thus reduce tumor recurrence. Thereby, our therapy achieved the elimination of malignancy in the mouse model of the pancreatic tumor without recurrence. Given that all materials used in this system have been approved for use in humans, the transition of this treatment method to clinical application is plausible.

Biomaterials Science

Dual-targeted and MRI-guided photothermal therapy via iron-based nanoparticles-incorporated neutrophils†

Abstract

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Dual-targeted and MRI-guided photothermal therapy via iron-based nanoparticles-incorporated neutrophils

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