Continuous O₂-Evolving MnFe₂O₄ Nanoparticle-Anchored Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles for Efficient Photodynamic Therapy in Hypoxic Cancer

TLDR

Therapeutic effects of photodynamic therapy are limited by cancer hypoxia because the process depends on oxygen concentration. The study designs biocompatible manganese ferrite nanoparticle‑anchored mesoporous silica nanoparticles to overcome hypoxia and enhance photodynamic therapy efficacy. MFMSNs generate oxygen through the Fenton reaction of MnFe₂O₄ nanoparticles, relieving tumor hypoxia with minimal dosage and enabling T2‑weighted MRI tracking of the particles. The results show that MFMSNs hold promise as theranostic agents for cancer treatment.

Abstract

Therapeutic effects of photodynamic therapy (PDT) are limited by cancer hypoxia because the PDT process is dependent on O2 concentration. Herein, we design biocompatible manganese ferrite nanoparticle-anchored mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MFMSNs) to overcome hypoxia, consequently enhancing the therapeutic efficiency of PDT. By exploiting the continuous O2-evolving property of MnFe2O4 nanoparticles through the Fenton reaction, MFMSNs relieve hypoxic condition using a small amount of nanoparticles and improve therapeutic outcomes of PDT for tumors in vivo. In addition, MFMSNs exhibit T2 contrast effect in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), allowing in vivo tracking of MFMSNs. These findings demonstrate great potential of MFMSNs for theranostic agents in cancer therapy.