Skin Cancer Treatment with Subcutaneous Delivery of Doxorubicin-Loaded Gelatin Nanoparticles and NIR Activation
Shekh Md Newaj, Tabassum Binte Kashem, J. M. Shafi Ferdous, Israt Jahan, Habiba Rawshan, Nusrat Jahan Prionty, Rashedujjaman Rakib, Md. Annur Sadman, Forhad Bin Faruk, Hasan Mahmud Reza, Shazid Md. Sharker
Abstract
Subcutaneous (SC) administration of chemotherapeutics combined with near-infrared (NIR) light activation can effectively target skin tumors by triggering localized drug release and enhancing cytotoxic effects. In this study, we developed NIR-responsive indocyanine green (ICG) and the chemotherapeutic agent doxorubicin (Dox) loaded into gelatin nanoparticles (NPs) for SC delivery in a skin tumor-bearing mouse model. Histological examination (hematoxylin and eosin staining) confirmed the successful delivery and swelling behavior of the Dox/ICG-loaded gelatin NPs at the SC site. In vitro and in vivo experiments demonstrated that NIR activation of the Dox/ICG-loaded gelatin NPs generated significant photothermal heat (48 and 46 °C), leading to targeted drug release and a substantial reduction in skin tumor size (from 15 to 3 mm 3 ). Our findings suggest that this dual-modality approach of SC chemotherapeutic administration and NIR-triggered photothermal therapy can concentrate cytotoxic drugs at the tumor site, offering a promising strategy for improving skin cancer treatment.