Abstract
Liposomes are attractive carriers for targeted and controlled drug delivery receiving increasing attention in cancer photothermal therapy. However, the field of creating near-infrared nanomaterial-liposome hybrid nanocarriers (NIRN-Lips) is relatively little understood. The hybrid nanocarriers combine the dual superiority of nanomaterials and liposomes, with more stable particles, enhanced photoluminescence, higher tumor permeability, better tumor-targeted drug delivery, stimulus-responsive drug release, and thus exhibiting better anti-tumor efficacy. Herein, this review covers the liposomes supported various types of near-infrared nanomaterials, including gold-based nanomaterials, carbon-based nanomaterials, and semiconductor quantum dots. Specifically, the NIRN-Lips are described in terms of their feature, synthesis, and drug-release mechanism. The design considerations of NIRN-Lips are highlighted. Further, we briefly introduced the photothermal conversion mechanism of NIRNs and the cell death mechanism induced by photothermal therapy. Subsequently, we provided a brief conclusion of NIRNs-Lips applied in cancer photothermal therapy. Finally, we discussed a synopsis of associated challenges and future perspectives for the applications of NIRN-Lips in cancer photothermal therapy.
Highlights
Cancer treatment mainly relies on chemotherapeutic drugs [1]
The hybrids that AuNRs modified on the surface most gold-based nanomaterials can be encapsulated into the aqueous core or on the ou of liposomes have been successfully synthesized through thin-film hydration, with high surface
We have elaborated on the recent advances in liposomes loading a large number of NIRNs for photothermal therapy (PTT)
Summary
Cancer treatment mainly relies on chemotherapeutic drugs [1]. after administration, free drugs are trapped in the normal tissue because of the low selectivity for tumor tissue [2]. PTT applied in tumor ablation possesses several advantages, including minimal invasiveness, deeper tissue penetration by NIR light, better tumor specificity, less systemic toxicity, and spatiotemporally controlled drug release [20,21] This therapeutic strategy mainly relies on the absorption of light by photothermal agents (PTAs) to convert the absorbed photon energy into heat, resulting in rapid enhancement of the local cell temperature to 42–45 ◦ C in 15–60 min to ablate cancer cells [21,22]. It has previously been shown that the phototoxicity of ICG under light exposure is mainly due to the presence of dissolved photodegradation products in the cytoplasm rather than the generation of singlet oxygen [32] Owing to their excellent imaging capacity and photothermal conversion efficiency, inorganic PTAs are currently prioritized by researchers to apply in cancer diagnosis and treatment [33].
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