| 초록 |
In recent years, theranostic nanoparticles, which integrate imaging and therapeutic functionalities, have played a central role in the improvement of tumor treatment. Herein, we develop a bubble-generating calcium carbonate (CaCO3) mineralized nanoparticle (CaCO3-MNPs) that can generate CO2 bubbles and trigger the release of photosensitizers in response to tumoral acidic pH for ultrasound (US) imaging and simultaneous therapy of tumors. In vitro experiments showed that the CaCO3-MNPs generated strong echogenic signals at tumoral pH (6.4) due to CO2 bubble generation, whereas, at pH 7.4, there was no noticeable US contrast signals. In addition, the CaCO3-MNPs effectively released the photosensitizer at pH 6.4, and expressed the effective photodynamic therapeutic activity for MCF-7 breast cancer cells. The photosensitizer-loaded CaCO3-MNPs can serve as a useful theranostic agent for imaging-guided photodynamic therapy. |
