A multifunctional biomimetic hybrid nanocarrier for the controlled delivery of chemotherapy drugs by near-infrared light

Abstract

Controlled drug release is a promising technique that is used in the treatment of cancer. Herein, drug nanocarriers were developed based on Fe₃O₄@mSiO₂ (mesoporous silica-coated Fe₃O₄) nanoparticles (NPs) gated by a lipid bilayer. The nanocarriers exhibited near-infrared (NIR) light-stimulated drug release in a remote and stepwise pattern. Mesoporous silica surrounds Fe₃O₄ NPs and ensures high drug capacity and easy modification of the lipid bilayer. Heat generated from the Fe₃O₄ NPs upon NIR irradiations increases the permeability of the lipid bilayer, which in turn causes drug release. Based on in vitro experiment results, DOX-loaded nanocarriers exhibited the highest cell death percentage of 75.7% with NIR laser irradiation for 5 min at the doxorubicin (DOX) dose of 10 μg mL⁻¹. Because of the flexible and precise control of NIR laser, the nanocarriers have great potential in cancer treatment.