Enhanced anti-tumor efficacy of berberine-loaded mesoporous polydopamine nanoparticles for synergistic chemotherapy and photothermal therapy

The development of innovative therapeutic strategies that combine multiple treatment modalities is essential for effective cancer therapy. In this study, we engineered berberine (BER)-loaded mesoporous polydopamine (MPDA) nanoparticles (BER-MPDA) to enhance anti-tumor efficacy through synergistic chemotherapy and photothermal therapy (PTT). The mesoporous structure of MPDA allowed for a high loading capacity of BER, a natural isoquinoline alkaloid with known anticancer properties. Upon near-infrared laser irradiation, BER-MPDA exhibited marked photothermal conversion efficiency, leading to effective tumor cell ablation. Both in vitro and in vivo experiments indicated that the combined treatment of BER-MPDA with near-infrared laser irradiation resulted in superior tumor inhibition compared to monotherapy. The synergistic effect was attributed to the enhanced cellular uptake and the simultaneous induction of chemo- and photothermal cytotoxicity. Our findings suggest that BER-MPDA represents a promising platform for multimodal cancer therapy, offering a potent approach to overcoming the limitations of conventional chemotherapy and PTT.