Development of upconversion-NMOFs nanocomposite conjugated with gold nanoparticles for NIR light-triggered combinational chemo-photothermal therapy

Abstract

Having the unique ability to convert near-infrared (NIR) light to high-energy UV–vis radiation, upconversion nanoparticles are currently used in combinational therapy for the development of cancer theranostic approaches. The present work involves the strategy of a designed system based on gold nanoparticles deposited on upconversion nanoparticles via nanoscale metal–organic frameworks (NMOFs) of MIL-53(Fe). Herein, the NMOFs attached upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) are not only capable of loading gold nanoparticles but also carrying anticancer drug 5-fluorouracil for imaging and combined photothermal/chemo therapy for boosted antitumor activity. The developed nanocomposite (UCNPs@MIL-53(Fe)@Au) possesses good stability as well as photothermal conversion ability. The nanocomposite can successfully convert NIR laser light (980 nm, 1.4 W/cm2) into heat, and also promote the release of 5-fluorouracil. This recognizes the synergistic chemo-photothermal treatment of cancer cells. Besides enhancing temperature via energy transfer to gold nanoparticles, upconversion nanoparticles are also utilized as a potential imaging agent. The in-vitro experiments show that the nanocomposite possesses good biocompatibility, and enhanced cellular uptake properties after attaching drug molecules. These findings may deliver a simple and effective way to develop a new type of synergistic chemo-photothermal transducers with high efficiency. We are confident that the nanocomposite (UCNPS@MIL-53(Fe)@Au) could open the door to design a significant multifunctional system for diverse applications in cancer treatment.