NIR-triggered all-in-one polydopamine nanocomposite hydrogel toward synergistic chemo-photothermal therapy

An "all-in-one" polydopamine platform integrates injectable hydrogel, NIR-triggered release, and photothermal therapy for superior combinatory tumor treatment. • This dual-functional design integrates injectable gelation for tumor localization with potent NIR-triggered photothermal conversion. • This design enables on-demand drug release, powered by the synergy between NIR-triggered photothermal heating and the acidic tumor microenvironment. • The resulting hydrogel achieves superior combinatory therapy outcomes, demonstrating high efficacy for localized tumor treatment. Localized therapy is pivotal for overcoming the drawbacks of traditional chemotherapy, including systemic toxicity and inadequate intratumoral drug accumulation. The development of intelligent, biocompatible, and efficient local drug delivery system is therefore essential for precise synergistic therapy. In this study, an injectable all-in-one polydopamine (PDA) nanocomposite hydrogel triggered by near-infrared (NIR) light is reported for synergistic chemo-photothermal therapy of tumors. The system was constructed from doxorubicin (DOX)-loaded mesoporous polydopamine nanoparticles (MPDA NPs) into a hydrogel network consisting of PDA and carboxymethyl chitosan (CMCS), and was found to exhibit excellent injectability, potent photothermal responsiveness, and high biocompatibility. In vitro and in vivo studies demonstrated that NIR light irradiation effectively induced mild photothermal effects, which significantly enhanced both the release rate of DOX from the hydrogel and its penetration and distribution within tumor tissues. This chemo-photothermal synergistic effect effectively promoted tumor cell apoptosis and inhibited proliferation, achieving highly efficient tumor growth suppression in 4 T1 tumor-bearing mouse models. Benefiting from the localized drug retention capability of the hydrogel, the system significantly reduced the systemic toxicity of DOX while ensuring therapeutic efficacy. This study provides a promising strategy for developing efficient and low-toxicity localized tumor therapy. An injectable, NIR-triggered integrated polydopamine nanocomposite hydrogel exhibits high photothermal conversion efficiency and on-demand release capability, enabling localized and efficient tumor therapy. Download: Download high-res image (289KB) Download: Download full-size image