Functional Nanoparticles Encapsulated in Resveratrol-Formaldehyde Resin for Cancer Therapy

Natural polyphenol compounds have exhibited multiple therapeutic effects in numerous reports. However, there is still a strong desire to combine polyphenols with other functional components to explore novel therapeutic systems. Herein, we demonstrate the construction of core–shell nanostructures with a variety of water-dispersed nanoparticles (NPs), including polymers, noble metals, metal alloys, semiconductors, preassembled NPs as the core, and resveratrol-formaldehyde resin as the shell. The as-prepared core–shell nanostructures inherit the bioactivities of resveratrol and the functionalities of the encapsulated NPs. More importantly, the thicknesses of the resin shell can be further regulated based on treatment requirements. In vitro studies demonstrate that the resveratrol-formaldehyde resin-encapsulated NPs exhibit a promising antitumor property due to their selective and responsive cytotoxicity toward cancer cells. Benefiting from the universality of this encapsulation strategy, as well as the diversity of polyphenols and functional NPs, it is believed that this work will promote the development of therapeutic techniques based on polyphenols.