Hyaluronic Acid-Functionalized Polydopamine Nanoparticles Augment Photothermal Therapy via Synergetic Tumor-Targeting and Heat Shock Protein Inhibition

As an alternative or supplement to conventional tumor treatment, photothermal therapy (PTT) is a rapid development technique for tumor elimination with the advantages of remote manipulation and minimal invasiveness. Although many different nanomaterials used in PTT have achieved excellent tumor treatment effects, poor tumor accumulation and high tumor heat resistance might lead to low PTT efficacy and frequent tumor recurrence. Herein, a kind of tumor-targeting nanoparticle (PDA-HA/STA9090 NPs) was rationally designed through conjugating hyaluronic acid (HA) on the surface of polyamine (PDA), along with loading the heat shock protein 90 (HSP90) inhibitor Ganetespib (STA9090). The PDA-HA/ST9090 NPs not only presented a high photothermal conversion efficiency (35.2%) but also enhanced the accumulation in tumoral sites for efficient downregulation of HSP90 in vitro. Accordingly, the mice treated with PDA-HA/STA9090 NPs under 808 nm laser irradiation showed the most effective tumor inhibition. Taken together, this work could not only provide a potential strategy to reduce hyperthermia side effects but also prompt the therapeutic effect of PTT with the assistance of HSP inhibition.