Thermo- and pH-responsive nano-in-micro particles for combinatorial drug delivery to cancer cells.

Drug combinatorial therapy has been gaining the scientific community attention as a suitable approach to increase treatments efficacy and promote cancer eradication. In this study, a new pH- and thermo- responsive carrier was developed by combining doxorubicin-loaded gold-core silica shell nanorods with salicylic acid loaded poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) based microparticles (NIMPS). The obtained results showed that the drugs and nanorods release could be triggered by the near-infrared (NIR) laser irradiation or by the exposition to an acidic environment.

Strategies to Improve Cancer Photothermal Therapy Mediated by Nanomaterials.

The deployment of hyperthermia-based treatments for cancer therapy has captured the attention of different researchers worldwide. In particular, the application of light-responsive nanomaterials to mediate hyperthermia has revealed promising results in several pre-clinical assays. Unlike conventional therapies, these nanostructures can display a preferential tumor accumulation and thus mediate, upon irradiation with near-infrared light, a selective hyperthermic effect with temporal resolution.

The effect of the shape of gold core-mesoporous silica shell nanoparticles on the cellular behavior and tumor spheroid penetration.

Size, surface charge, and shape have a huge influence on the behavior, cellular uptake, and cytotoxic profile of nanoparticles. Herein, gold core and silica shell based nanoparticles (Au-MSSs) with spherical or rod-like shape were produced, in order to disclose the effect of the shape of nanomaterials on the cellular uptake, reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, 3D tumor spheroid penetration and cytotoxicity towards cancer cells. The Au-MSS spheres induced greater reduction of the ROS content of cancer cells and also displayed a more homogeneous distribution and penetration in 3D tumor spheroids.