NIR stimulus-responsive AstragalosideIV-Indocyanin green liposomes for chemo-photothermal therapy

The combination of multiple therapies could significantly improve the efficiency of treatment for malignant tumors, which has become the trend of cancer research and treatment. Astragaloside IV (AS-IV) is able to enhance the sensitivity of anti-tumor drugs and reduces the adverse reactions, but AS-IV alone is not much powerful lethality to cancer cells. AS-IV and photosensitizer ICG are combined, which contributes to elevate the anti-tumor effect. In this study, we constructed the liposome co-loading with AS-IV and near infrared (NIR) dye ICG for chemo-photothermal therapy of breast cancer. In addition, the anticancer properties of the liposome have been studied in vitro and in vivo . AS-IV/ICG-LPs showed the uniform structure, preferable photothermal response, excellent physiological stability, and photo-responsive drug release behavior. Furthermore, in comparison with individual chemotherapy or PTT, the combinational chemo-PTT therapy of AS-IV/ICG-LPs with NIR laser irradiation synergistically induced apoptosis and death of cancer cells in vitro , and demonstrated synergistic chemo-PTT efficiency in vivo as evidenced by highly efficient tumor tissue ablation. Moreover, the liposome materials of FDA-approved agents provide a safe strategy in the rational design of synergistic combination therapy.