Surface-engineered vanadium nitride nanosheets for an imaging-guided photothermal/photodynamic platform of cancer treatment

Nanoscale. 2019 Jan 23;11(4):1968-1977. doi: 10.1039/c8nr08269c.

Abstract

Of the many strategies for precise tumor treatment, near-infrared (NIR) light-activated "one-for-all" theranostic modality with real-time diagnosis and therapy has attracted extensive attention from researchers. Herein, a brand-new theranostic nanoplatform was established on versatile vanadium nitride (VN) nanosheets, which show significant NIR optical absorption, and resultant photothermal effect and reactive oxygen species activity under NIR excitation, thereby realizing the synergistic action of photothermal/photodynamic co-therapy. As expected, systematic in vitro and in vivo antitumor evaluations demonstrated efficient cancer cell killing and solid tumor removal without recurrence. Meanwhile, the surface modification of VN nanosheets with poly(allylamine hydrochloride) and bovine serum albumin enhanced the biocompatibility of VN and made it more suitable for in vivo delivery. Moreover, VN has been ascertained as a potential photoacoustic imaging contrast for in vivo tumor depiction. Thus, this work highlights the potential of VN nanosheets as a single-component theranostic nanoplatform.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Biocompatible Materials / chemistry
  • Biocompatible Materials / pharmacology
  • Biocompatible Materials / therapeutic use
  • Cattle
  • Cell Survival / drug effects
  • Female
  • Hep G2 Cells
  • Humans
  • Hyperthermia, Induced
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred BALB C
  • Mice, Nude
  • Nanostructures / chemistry*
  • Neoplasms / diagnostic imaging
  • Neoplasms / drug therapy
  • Neoplasms / pathology
  • Photochemotherapy
  • Photosensitizing Agents / chemistry*
  • Photosensitizing Agents / pharmacology
  • Photosensitizing Agents / therapeutic use
  • Polyamines / chemistry
  • Reactive Oxygen Species / metabolism
  • Serum Albumin, Bovine / chemistry
  • Theranostic Nanomedicine
  • Vanadium / chemistry*

Substances

  • Biocompatible Materials
  • Photosensitizing Agents
  • Polyamines
  • Reactive Oxygen Species
  • Vanadium
  • Serum Albumin, Bovine
  • polyallylamine