Fe3S4 nanoparticles for arterial inflammation therapy: Integration of magnetic hyperthermia and photothermal treatment

Photothermal therapy (PTT), based on nanoparticles, has been widely explored in the treatment of multiple diseases. However, limited by laser penetration ability, its treatment efficiency can be reduced when treating deep arterial inflammation, which is the major cause of atherosclerosis and vessels stenosis. Magnetic hyperthermia (MHT) has the outstanding tissue permeability, while its magnetothermal efficiency was relatively poor. In this study, Fe3S4 nanoparticles (NPs) were synthesized and characterized, and its dual capacity to convert light and magnetic stimulation into heat was confirmed. The Fe3S4 NPs also presented superior biocompatibility and great T2 weighted magnetic resonance imaging properties (52.8 mM−1 S−1). Besides, its excellent effect in ablating inflammatory macrophages combining PTT and MHT was verified in vitro. In vivo experiment on Apo E-/- mice models exhibited that PTT combined with MHT could effectively eliminate infiltrating inflammatory macrophages and further inhibit the formation of arterial stenosis. This study concludes that the integration of PTT and MHT based on Fe3S4 NPs can serve as an effective therapeutic strategy for the treatment of atherosclerosis and vessels stenosis.