Near-infrared light-controllable bufalin delivery from a black phosphorus-hybrid supramolecular hydrogel for synergistic photothermal-chemo tumor therapy
Jiaqi He, Guoqin Chen, Peng Zhao, Caiwen Ou
Abstract
Bufalin is efficacious in treating various tumors, however, the clinical application of which is restricted by the myocardial toxicity. Developing a smart synergetic delivery system is widely considered as a promising therapeutic strategy. To address this issue, a black phosphorus hybrid polypeptides hydrogel was designed to highly load bufalin, and achieved near-infrared (NIR)-controllable drug release with synergistic photothermal-chemo therapeutic effect. Black phosphorus nanosheets (BPNSs) and bufalin were co-loaded in temperature-sensitive supramolecular hydrogel to receive smart hybridization (BP-bufalin@SH). With NIR irradiation (1 W·cm−2), BP-bufalin@SH exhibited a rapid and large temperature increase and released bufalin via light-controllable manner, with which the side effects of bufalin were greatly decreased. Combined with photothermal-chemo therapeutic effect, BP-bufalin@SH could collapse the mitochondrial transmembrane potential resulting in the irreversible apoptosis of tumor cells, and realize a highly efficient in vivo tumor elimination with good biosafety and biocompatibility. This work provides a new hydrogel platform for controlling bufalin release, and thus further promotes the practical application on antitumor therapy.