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NaYF4:Yb/Tm@SiO2-Dox/Cur-CS/OSA Nanoparticles with pH and Photon Responses.

Xiaoling QiYingdong HanShujing LiuHaofeng HuZhenzhou ChengTiegen Liu
Published in: Nanotechnology (2021)
Stimulus-triggered drug delivery systems (DDSs) based on lanthanide-doped upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) have attracted intensive attention for treating cancers due to the merits of high drug availability, precisely controlled drug release, and low side-effects. However, such DDSs usually exhibit a single stimulus-response, which may limit the efficiency of cancer treatment. To extend response types in a single DDS, we construct NaYF4:Yb/Tm@SiO2- doxorubicin (Dox)/curcumin (Cur)-chitosan (CS)/2-Octen-1-ylsuccinic anhydride (OSA) nanoparticles with core-shell structures. Our method is based on the exploration of a synergistic effect of UCNPs and multiple drugs. To be specific, the NaYF4:Yb/Tm is used to convert near-infrared light to visible light, activating Cur photosensitizers to produce singlet oxygen for photodynamic therapy, while CS/OSA responds to a low pH environment to release cancer drugs including Dox and Cur for chemotherapy through breaking a free carboxyl group. The results show that the UCNPs with 40-nm diameter, 23-nm-thick mesoporous SiO2, and 19/1 mol% Yb3+/Tm3+concentrations could continuously release Dox and Cur at a pH value of 6.5 within 6 hours after the excitation of a 980-nm-wavelength laser. Our study provides a promising approach for developing efficient DDSs for cancer treatment.
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