Targeted and NIR light-controlled delivery of nitric oxide combined with a platinum(iv) prodrug for enhanced anticancer therapy

Abstract

This study reports a strategy of combining a Pt(IV) prodrug and a ruthenium nitrosyl (Ru-NO) donor into a single nanoplatform {N-GQDs@Ru-NO-Pt@FA} in which the platinum(IV) prodrug is conjugated onto a photoactivatable NO donor (Ru-NO) through a covalent bond and the nitric oxide-releasing platinum prodrug and folate groups are decorated on N-doped graphene quantum dots (N-GQDs). After cellular uptake of the nanoplatform, the platinum(IV) prodrug was reduced to an active anti-cancer Pt(II) species inside the cancerous cells, and simultaneously, near-infrared (NIR) light illumination induced the release of NO, accompanied by a prominent photothermal effect. This nanoplatform is capable of targeting intracellular co-delivery of Pt(II) and NO under 808 nm NIR light irradiation, accompanied by photothermal therapy, thereby leading to a significant synergistic therapeutic effect.