IR-780 Loaded Folic Acid Modified Chitosan Nanoparticles (FASOC-IR780 NPs) as a Targeting and Theranostic Agent for Breast Cancer Therapy

In recent years, breast cancer attracts more and more attention because of its high mobility and high mortality for women. Phototherapy, including photothermal therapy (PTT) and photodynamic therapy (PDT), provides a new pathway to breast cancer therapy. Herein, we developed multifunctional IR780 loaded nanoparticles based on folic acid modified chitosan (FASOC-IR780 NPs) for targeted imaging and phototherapy of cancer compatible with a single-nearinfrared (NIR) laser irradiation. In vitro characterizations demonstrated the self-assembled FASOC-IR780 NPs own narrow size distribution and encouraging photothermal performance with enhanced generation of ROS under laser irradiation. The cytotoxicity studies on MDA-MB-231 cells showed enhanced toxicity upon NIR light irradiation. NIR small animal imaging demonstrated the significant tumor-selectivity of the nanoparticles to breast cancer cells that over expressed folate receptor. In vivo treatments with FASOC-IR780 NPs resulted in effective tumor suppression. These results indicate that the multifunctional FASOC-IR780 NPs show notable targeting and theranostic potential in breast cancer therapy.