Active-Targeting Biomimetic Polymer Nanoparticles for NIR Fluorescence Imaging and Enhanced Chemo-Sonodynamic Therapy of Cancer

Combination therapy has been demonstrated to be an effective strategy for cancer therapy. Herein, FA-GCM@PF127/ICG/TM biomimetic nanoparticles targeting tumor cells were developed for combined chemo-sonodynamic therapy against glioma. The chemotherapeutic drug Temozolomide (TM) and the ultrasonic agent indocyanine green (ICG) were loaded into the hydrophobic motif and hydrophilic motif of Pluronic F-127 (PF127) and self-assembled to the PF127/ICG/TM nanoparticle core. Tumor-specific targeting folate (FA) ligand-functionalized glioma cancer cell membrane was coated on the surface of the PF127/ICG/TM core to play the role of a “disguiser”. FA-GCM/PF127/ICG/TM nanoparticles targeted tumor cells under the concerted effort of the homologous glioma cancer cell membranes (GCM) and specifically the binding between FA ligand and tumor overexpressed FA receptor. ICG provides high-fidelity near-infrared fluorescence imaging to illuminate the tumor and stimulates the production of reactive oxygen to kill tumor cells upon ultrasonic irritation. In vitro and in vivo experiments demonstrated that FA-GCM@PF127/ICG/TM nanoparticles presented excellent biocompatibility. GL261 tumor-bearing C57BL/6 mice treatment results show that the FA-GCM@PF127/ICG/TM nanoparticles combined chemotherapy and sonodynamic therapy together to greatly improve the tumor therapeutic effect. FA-GCM@PF127/ICG/TM biomimetic polymer nanoparticles are promising to provide a strategy for near-infrared fluorescence imaging and enhanced chemo-sonodynamic therapy.