An Injectable Composite Co‐Assembled Dehydropeptide‐Based Magnetic/Plasmonic Lipogel for Multimodal Cancer Therapy
Sérgio R. S. Veloso, Margarita Vázquez‐González, Carlos Spuch, Luis Freiría‐Martínez, María Comís‐Tuche, Marta Iglesias‐Martínez‐Almeida, Tania Rivera‐Baltanás, Loïc Hilliou, Carlos O. Amorim, V. S. Amaral, Paulo J. G. Coutinho, Paula M. T. Ferreira, Elisabete M. S. Castanheira, Miguel A. Correa‐Duarte
Abstract
Abstract Advancing therapeutic effectiveness through the strategic co‐delivery of drugs in a sequential manner represents a compelling strategy. However, achieving precise and selective release of chemotherapeutic agents remains a formidable challenge. In this study, a co‐assembled Arginine‐Glycine‐Aspartate (RGD)‐functionalized dehydropeptide‐based gel loaded with magnetic liposomes and mesoporous silica‐coated gold nanorods is introduced. This composite system serves as a sophisticated tool to independently modulate the release of doxorubicin and methotrexate. The gel's properties are intricately tuned by the incorporation of liposomes or nanorods and/or the co‐assembly with an RGD‐functionalized peptide. Furthermore, the combined effects of sequential drug release, photothermia, and magnetic hyperthermia synergistically enhance therapeutic efficacy against 3D cancer cell cultures. Noteworthy attributes of the gel include its ability to orthogonally trigger loaded drugs, along with features such as injectability, rapid gelation, self‐healing, and mechanical properties suitable for drug delivery. Consequently, this versatile multimodal platform emerges as a promising option for therapeutic applications, particularly in the context of cancer therapy.