Tailor-made PEG-DA-CuS nanoparticles enriched in tumor with the aid of retro Diels–Alder reaction triggered by their intrinsic photothermal property

Jie Sheng,1,2 Beibei Ma,1 Qian Yang,1 Chao Zhang,2 Zhongying Jiang,1,2 Entomack Borrathybay3 1College of Electronic and Information Engineering, Yili Normal University, Micro-nano Electric Sensing Technology and Bionic Devices Key Laboratory, Yining 835000, China; 2Physics School of Nanjing University, Laboratory of Solid State Microstructures, Nanjing 210093, China; 3College of Biology and Geography Sciences, Yili Normal University, Yining 835000, Xinjiang, China Introduction: In recent years, near-infrared laser-induced photothermal therapy is being considered as a promising approach to kill tumors owing to its noninvasive nature and excellent antitumor efficiency. However, the lack of ideal photothermal agents hinders further development of this technology. Materials and methods: Aiming at solving this long-standing obstacle, we report here about the polyethylene glycol (PEG)-DA modified copper sulfide (CuS) nanoparticles (NPs) (PEG-DA-CuS NPs), a kind of semiconductor photothermal agents that show excellent photothermal stability and high heat conversion efficiency. Results and discussion: Owing to the surrounding PEG, the water solubility of CuS NPs was significantly improved when circulating in blood in the body. When the NPs reached the tumors and were irradiated by a 1,064 nm laser (1 W/cm2, 10 minutes), the local temperature increased above 90°C, triggering the retro Diels–Alder reaction. After the release of PEG chain, CuS NPs soon formed aggregates and enriched the tumor via the enhanced permeability and retention effect, promoting the efficacy of photothermal therapy. Conclusion: Therefore, we believe PEG-DA-CuS NPs are able to serve as a kind of cytotoxic and efficient photothermal agent to kill cancer. Keywords: CuS, PEG, retro Diels–Alder reaction, excellent photothermal stability, high heat conversion efficiency, aggregation in tumor