Photomagnetically Powered Spiky Nanomachines with Thermal Control of Viscosity for Enhanced Cancer Mechanotherapy

Nanomachines with active propulsion have emerged as an intelligent platform for targeted cancer therapy. Achieving an efficient locomotion performance using an external energy conversion is a key requirement in the design of nanomachines. In this study, inspired by diverse spiky structures in nature, a photomagnetically powered nanomachine (PMN) with a spiky surface and thermally dependent viscosity tunability is proposed to facilitate mechanical motion in lysosomes for cancer mechanotherapy. The hybrid nanomachine is integrated with magnetic nanoparticles as the core and covered with gold nanotips. Physical simulations and experimental results prove that the spiky structure endows nanomachines with an obvious photomagnetic coupling effect in the NIR-II region through the alignment and orienting movement of plasmons on the gold tips. Using a coupling-enhanced magnetic field, PMNs are efficiently assembled into chain-like structures to further elevate energy conversion efficiency. Notably, PMNs with the thermal control of viscosity are efficiently propelled under simultaneously applied dual external energy sources in cell lysosomes. Enhanced mechanical destruction of cancer cells via PMNs is confirmed both in vitro and in vivo under photomagnetic treatment. This study provides a new direction for designing integrated nanomachines with active adaptability to physiological environments for cancer treatment.

Automated summary

This study proposes a photomagnetically powered nanomachine (PMN) with a spiky surface and thermally dependent viscosity tunability to facilitate mechanical motion in lysosomes for cancer mechanotherapy. The spiky structure endows nanomachines with a photomagnetic coupling effect in the NIR-II region, and PMNs can be efficiently propelled under simultaneously applied dual external energy sources in cell lysosomes. Enhanced mechanical destruction of cancer cells via PMNs is confirmed both in vitro and in vivo under photomagnetic treatment. This study provides a theoretical basis for designing integrated nanomachines with active adaptability to physiological environments for cancer treatment.