Honokiol-Loaded ZIF-90 Nanoparticles Modified with Polydopamine for Antitumor Therapy

The development of synergistic therapy that integrates various therapeutic approaches has become an emerging antitumor treatment strategy. In this study, we developed a polydopamine-modified nanodelivery system loaded with honokiol (HNK), leveraging the high porosity and large specific surface area of ZIF-90. This system combines the chemotherapeutic effects of HNK, a bioactive compound derived from traditional Chinese medicine, with photothermal therapy (PTT) mediated by polydopamine. The resulting P-Z-HNK nanoparticles, with an average size of 100.03 ± 20.06 nm and a high drug loading capacity of 50.04 ± 0.58%, demonstrated excellent photothermal effects and stability following near-infrared (NIR) laser irradiation, leading to efficient melanoma cell ablation. Moreover, the combination of PTT and enhanced chemotherapy not only effectively inhibited melanoma cell proliferation but also significantly reduced cell migration and metastasis. Both in vitro and in vivo experiments demonstrated that the dual-modality treatment with P-Z-HNK under NIR laser irradiation achieved superior antimelanoma efficacy compared to monotherapy. Furthermore, biosafety assessments revealed no significant acute toxicity associated with P-Z-HNK. These results indicate that P-Z-HNK offers a promising nanoplatform for synergistic melanoma therapy, providing a potent approach to overcoming the limitations of single-modal treatments.