Engineering of an endogenous hydrogen sulfide responsive smart agent for photoacoustic imaging-guided combination of photothermal therapy and chemotherapy for colon cancer

Qiwei Tian; Xiaodong Wang; Shaoli Song; Lu An; Shiping Yang; Gang Huang

doi:10.1016/j.jare.2022.01.018

Engineering of an endogenous hydrogen sulfide responsive smart agent for photoacoustic imaging-guided combination of photothermal therapy and chemotherapy for colon cancer

J Adv Res. 2022 Nov:41:159-168. doi: 10.1016/j.jare.2022.01.018. Epub 2022 Feb 9.

Authors

Qiwei Tian¹, Xiaodong Wang², Shaoli Song³, Lu An², Shiping Yang⁴, Gang Huang⁵

Affiliations

¹ Shanghai Key Laboratory of Molecular Imaging, Jiading District Central Hospital Affiliated Shanghai University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Shanghai University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Shanghai 201318, China; Department of Nuclear Medicine, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China.
² Shanghai Municipal Education Committee Key Laboratory of Molecular Imaging Probes and Sensors, Shanghai Normal University, Shanghai 200234, China.
³ Department of Nuclear Medicine, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China. Electronic address: shaoli-song@163.com.
⁴ Shanghai Municipal Education Committee Key Laboratory of Molecular Imaging Probes and Sensors, Shanghai Normal University, Shanghai 200234, China. Electronic address: shipingy@shnu.edu.cn.
⁵ Shanghai Key Laboratory of Molecular Imaging, Jiading District Central Hospital Affiliated Shanghai University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Shanghai University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Shanghai 201318, China. Electronic address: huangg@sumhs.edu.cn.

Abstract

Introduction: Photothermal therapy can be synergistically combined with chemotherapy to improve the therapeutic effect for colon cancer. However, conventional therapeutic agents have side effects in normal tissues, limiting their application.

Objectives: To reduce these side effects, a smart agent (Cur@HKUST-1@PVP) whose functionality is triggered by the high content of endogenous hydrogen sulfide in colon tumors was engineered for photoacoustic imaging-guided combination of photothermal therapy and chemotherapy for colon tumors.

Methods: After reacting with hydrogen sulfide, Cur@HKUST-1@PVP simultaneously generates CuS and releases curcumin. The generated CuS serves as an imaging agent for both photothermal therapy and photoacoustic imaging, while the released curcumin is used for chemotherapy.

Results: In vivo photoacoustic imaging experiments demonstrated that Cur@HKUST-1@PVP can be used for selectively imaging colon cancer tumors. In vivo experiments in mice for treatment suggested that the endogenous hydrogen sulfide-activated combination of photothermal therapy and chemotherapy has a better treatment effect that photothermal therapy or chemotherapy treatment alone.

Conclusion: The endogenous hydrogen sulfide-activated Cur@HKUST-1@PVP agent developed herein shows great potential for the accurate diagnosis and effective treatment of colon cancer.

Keywords: Colon cancer; Endogenous hydrogen sulfide; Photoacoustic imaging; Photothermal therapy; Smart agent.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Animals
Colonic Neoplasms* / diagnostic imaging
Colonic Neoplasms* / drug therapy
Curcumin* / therapeutic use
Hydrogen Sulfide*
Mice
Photoacoustic Techniques* / methods
Photothermal Therapy

Substances

cupric sulfide
bis(1,3,5-benzenetricarboxylate)tricopper(II)
Hydrogen Sulfide
Curcumin