Fe3O4 liposome for photothermal/chemo-synergistic inhibition of metastatic breast tumor

Tumor metastasis is the main reason for the high mortality rate of breast cancer patients and lymph node metastasis is the primary means of tumor spreading. Liposomes loaded with bufalin (BF), a steroidal inhibitor of various inflammatory signaling pathways in cancer, and superparamagnetic Fe 3 O 4 nanoparticles were developed to inhibit lymphatic metastasis in breast cancer. Fe 3 O 4 functioned as both a magnetic targeting and photothermal agent. In vivo studies using a mouse model of lymph metastatic breast cancer demonstrated that BF-Fe 3 O 4 -L(liposomes), administered by iv injection, accumulated in sentinel lymph nodes (SLNs) with high efficiency under magnetic direction and exhibited significant photothermal character under near-infrared (NIR) light irradiation. The combination of targeted delivery, photothermal and chemotherapeutic properties resulted in a 91% tumor inhibition rate in SLNs compared with untreated (PBS) controls and 81% lower incidence of pulmonary metastases formation. These findings reveal the significant potential of BF- Fe 3 O 4 -Ls for delivering -targeted, chemo-photothermal therapy in the treatment of metastasic cancer.