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Photothermal therapy (PTT) is an emerging, affordable alternative to conventional therapies for superficial tumors and topical microbial infections. Photothermal agents (PTA) play a crucial role to achieve PTT. Several nanoparticles have been widely used as PTA owing to their small size and tunability of absorbance in the near infrared region (NIR). When irradiated with the NIR laser, they generate localized heat, which results in localized ablation of cancer cells or microbes. Additionally, several organic or inorganic PTAs exhibit surface plasmon resonance (SPR), an important characteristic for achieving laser-induced hyperthermia. However, among the various nano PTAs, the metallic nanosystems exhibit comparatively better thermal raise properties. Among the metallic systems, gold is a superior, biocompatible, and wellstudied system for PTT. However, the photothermal conversion efficacy of the PTAs greatly depend on the wavelength and the power of the laser source used. In this regard, this study is aimed at understanding the photothermal conversion efficacy of gold coated calcium peroxide nanoparticles when exposed to lasers of various wavelengths and power. The results showed that the photothermal conversion efficacy (PTE) of the particles irradiated with continuos laser was higher, when compared with the particles irradiated with low power pointer laser and pulsed laser. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

L-Arginine (LA), a semi-essential amino acid in the human body, holds significant potential in cancer therapy due to its ability to generate nitric oxide (NO) continuously in the presence of inducible NO synthase (iNOS) or reactive oxygen species (ROS). However, the efficiency of NO production in tumor tissue is severely constrained by the hypoxic and H 2 O 2 -deficient tumor microenvironment (TME). To address this issue, we have developed calcium peroxide (CaO 2 ) nanoparticles capable of supplying O 2 /H 2 O 2 , which encapsulate and oxidize an LA-modified lipid bilayer to enable controlled localized NO generation in the presence of ROS, synergising with a ferroptosis inducer, RSL-3 (CPIR NPs). The synthesized nanoparticles were tested in vitro for their anticancer activity in 4T1 cells. To address challenges related to specificity and frequent dosing, we developed an in situ thermosensitive injectable hydrogel incorporating CPIR nanoparticles. Cross-linking at 60 °C creates a self-sufficient formulation, releasing NO/H 2 O 2 to combat tumor hypoxia. RSL-3 induces ferroptosis, contributing to a synergistic photothermal effect and eliminating tumor in vivo .

Peptides are ideal biologicals for targeted drug delivery and have also been increasingly employed as theranostic tools in treating various diseases, including cancer, with minimal or no side effects. Owing to their receptor-specificity, peptide-mediated drug delivery aids in targeted drug delivery with better pharmacological biodistribution. Nanostructured self-assembled peptides and peptide-drug conjugates demonstrate enhanced stability and performance and captivating biological effects in comparison with conventional peptides. Moreover, they serve as valuable tools for establishing interfaces between drug carriers and biological systems, enabling the traversal of multiple biological barriers encountered by peptide-drug conjugates on their journeys to their intended targets. Peptide-based drugs play a pivotal role in the field of medicine and hold great promise for addressing a wide range of complex diseases such as cancer and autoimmune disorders. Nanotechnology has revolutionized the fields of medicine, biomedical engineering, biotechnology, and engineering sciences over the past two decades. With the help of nanotechnology, better delivery of peptides to the target site could be achieved by exploiting the small size, increased surface area, and passive targeting ability of the nanocarrier. Furthermore, nanocarriers also ensure safe delivery of the peptide moieties to the target site, protecting them from degradation. Nanobased peptide delivery systems would be of significant importance in the near future for the successful targeted and efficient delivery of peptides. This review focuses on peptide-drug conjugates and nanoparticle-mediated self-assembled peptide delivery systems in cancer therapeutics.

Metallic nanoparticles are promising candidates for anticancer therapies. Among the different metallic systems studied, copper is an affordable and biologically available metal with a high redox potential. Copper-based nanoparticles are widely used in anticancer studies owing to their ability to react with intracellular glutathione (GSH) to induce a Fenton-like reaction. However, considering the high metastatic potential and versatility of the tumor microenvironment, modalities with a single therapeutic agent may not be effective. Hence, to enhance the efficiency of chemotherapeutic drugs, repurposing them or conjugating them with other modalities is essential. Omeprazole is an FDA-approved proton pump inhibitor used in clinics for the treatment of ulcers. Omeprazole has also been studied for its ability to sensitize cancer cells to chemotherapy and induce apoptosis. Herein, we report a nanosystem comprising of copper nanoparticles encapsulating omeprazole (CuOzL) against B16 melanoma cells. The developed nanoformulation exerted significant synergistic anticancer activity when compared with either copper nanoparticles or omeprazole alone by inducing cell death through excessive ROS generation and subsequent mitochondrial damage.