Biodegradable photoresponsive nanoparticles for chemo-, photothermal- and photodynamic therapy of ovarian cancer

Ovarian cancer (OC) is the deadliest gynecological cancer. Standard treatment of OC is based on cytoreductive surgery followed by chemotherapy with platinum drugs and taxanes; however, innate and acquired drug-resistance is frequently observed followed by a relapse after treatment, thus, more efficient therapeutic approaches are required. Combination therapies involving phototherapies and chemotherapy (the so-called chemophototherapy) may have enhanced efficacy against cancer, by attacking cancer cells through different mechanisms, including DNA-damage and thermally driven cell membrane and cytoskeleton damage. We have designed and synthesized poly(lactic-co-glycolic) nanoparticles (PLGA NPs) containing the chemo-drug carboplatin (CP), and the near infrared (NIR) photosensitizer indocyanine green (ICG). We have evaluated the drug release profile, the photodynamic ROS generation and photothermal capacities of the NPs. Also, the antitumoral efficiency of the NPs was evaluated using the SKOV-3 cell line as an in vitro OC model, observing an enhanced cytotoxic effect when irradiating cells with an 800 nm laser. Evidence here shown supports the potential application of the biodegradable photoresponsive NPs in the clinical stage due to the biocompatibility of the materials used, the spatiotemporal control of the therapy and, also, the less likely development of resistance against the combinatorial therapy.