Magnetic liposomes for light-sensitive drug delivery and combined photothermal–chemotherapy of tumors

Abstract

The targeted delivery of anticancer drugs for improving the therapeutic efficacy and reducing the side effects has attracted great attention in cancer therapy. In this study, multifunctional magnetic nanoparticles-loaded thermosensitive liposomes (Fe₃O₄–TSL) were developed for the near-infrared (NIR) laser-triggered release and combined photothermal–chemotherapy of tumors. Doxorubicin (DOX) was encapsulated into the Fe₃O₄–TSL (DOX–Fe₃O₄–TSL) via an ammonium sulfate gradient, with an encapsulation efficiency of up to 90.9%. Once treated with NIR laser irradiation, significantly improved drug release was observed in the DOX–Fe₃O₄–TSL compared to that of DOX–TSL. After an intravenous injection, Fe₃O₄–TSL tended to enrich in the tumor over time and showed remarkable magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and photothermal effects. The combined chemo–photothermal therapy study demonstrated that DOX–Fe₃O₄–TSL could significantly inhibit the tumor growth without causing any significant damage to normal tissues under NIR laser irradiation. These results revealed a great potential for DOX–Fe₃O₄–TSL for the diagnosis and synergistic therapy of tumors.