Applications of mesoporous silica encapsulated gold nanorods loaded doxorubicin in chemo-photothermal therapy

TL;DR

This study explores the combined chemo-photothermal therapy using mesoporous silica coated gold nanorods loaded with doxorubicin, demonstrating effective tumor treatment and drug delivery in mice models.

Contribution

It introduces a novel application of mesoporous silica coated gold nanorods loaded with doxorubicin for combined chemo-photothermal cancer therapy.

Findings

Significant change in absorption spectra enables quantification of drug loading.

Effective tumor reduction observed in mice treated with laser-illuminated nanostructures.

Confirmed accumulation of nanostructures in liver tissues.

Abstract

We investigate chemo-photothermal effects of gold nanorods (GNRs) coated using mesoporous silica (mSiO2) loading doxorubicin (DOX). When the mesoporous silica layer is embedded by doxorubicin drugs, a significant change in absorption spectra enable to quantify the drug loading. We carry out photothermal experiments on saline and livers of mice having GNRs@mSiO2 and GNRs@mSiO2-DOX. We also inject the gold nanostructures into many tumor-implanted mice and use laser illumination on some of them. By measuring weight and size of tumors, the distinct efficiency of photothermal therapy and chemotherapy on treatment is determined. We experimentally confirm the accumulation of gold nanostructures in liver.