Nanoformulation-enabled CDDP/ICG combination for synergistic chemotherapy and photothermal therapy of ovarian cancer

Ovarian cancer (OC) remains a highly lethal gynecologic malignancy, with platinum (Pt)-based chemotherapy facing challenges from drug resistance and systemic toxicity. In this study, we developed a silica-based nanoparticle system, termed SiO₂@PEG-ICG&CDDP, to co-deliver cisplatin (CDDP) and indocyanine green (ICG) for synergistic chemotherapy and photothermal therapy (PTT) against OC. The nanoplatform encapsulates cisplatin (CDDP) and indocyanine green (ICG), leveraging the enhanced permeability and retention (EPR) effect for tumor accumulation. Under 808 nm near-infrared (NIR) irradiation, ICG-mediated photothermal heating not only induces tumor ablation but also enhances cellular uptake of CDDP and suppresses DNA repair mechanisms. Concurrently, CDDP promotes apoptosis via the formation of platinum–DNA adducts, disrupting DNA replication and transcription. In vitro and in vivo evaluations demonstrated that this combinatory approach effectively reverses CDDP resistance and significantly suppresses tumor growth, while minimizing systemic side effects. Collectively, SiO₂@PEG-ICG&CDDP represents a promising nanotherapeutic strategy to augment the efficacy of platinum-based chemotherapy in ovarian cancer through PTT–chemotherapy synergy.