초록 |
Heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), a stress-response protein with potent cytoprotective and antioxidant activity, is enhanced in response to chemotherapy and radiotherapy by attenuating apoptotic signals. It can be reasoned that inhibition of HO-1 reduces the antioxidant level, making cancer cells more sensitive to photothermal heating. Here, we developed dual imaging-guided oxidative−photothermal combination nanotherapeutics (OPCN) consisting of amphiphilic polymers conjugated with zinc protoporphyrin as a HO-1 inhibitor and fluorescent IR820 as a photothermal agent, responsively. A combination of OPCN and near-infrared (NIR) laser irradiation markedly increased the temperature and exerted significant toxicity, inhibiting HO-1 induction. In addition, OPCN could be also used as a dual imaging agent for fluorescence and photoacoustic imaging. We therefore believe that OPCN hold tremendous translational potential for dual imaging guided oxidative−photothermal combination anticancer therapy. |