Smart NIR-light and pH responsive doxorubicin-loaded GNRs@SBA-15-SH nanocomposite for chemo-photothermal therapy of cancer

Abstract

We designed novel biocompatible nanocomposite composed of gold nanorods coated with rod-like mesoporous silica SBA-15-SH particles, (GNRs@SBA-15-SH) as a new synergistic therapeutic device to deliver heat and drug to cancer cells for tumor eradication. For this purpose, doxorubicin (DOX) was loaded into GNRs@SBA-15-SH nanocomposites and studied their photothermal therapy, chemotherapy and the combined effect on the ablation of A549 cells in vitro using human lung cancer cells, A549. The results demonstrate the high photothermal efficacy of gold nanorods loaded into the nanocomposite, the thermo-responsive properties of GNRs@SBA-15-SH, the high loading capacity of DOX into the GNRs@SBA-15-SH and its biocompatibility. Synergistic chemo-photothermal of the GNRs@SBA-15-SH/DOX nanocomposite in the eradication of cancer cells under laser irradiation (808 nm), demonstrates the high potential of therapeutic efficacy of this combined therapy over monotherapies.

Keywords

• cancer therapy
• chemo-photothermal therapy
• doxorubicin
• gold nanorods