Photoacoustic Therapy for Precise Eradication of Glioblastoma with a Tumor Site Blood-Brain Barrier Permeability Upregulating Nanoparticle

Glioblastoma is an extremely difficult clinical indication with very few therapeutic choices. In this study, a nanoparticle is constructed featuring high red absorbance and selective penetration of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) at the tumor site. This nanoparticle can provide timely activation of the adenosine receptor on the BBB to allow self-passage and accumulation in the tumor. The nanoparticle converts pulsed laser energy into a shockwave via photoacoustic (PA) cavitation to achieve localized mechanical damage and thus yields a precision antitumor effect. In addition to its therapeutic function, the nanoparticle-mediated PA process can also generate images that provide valuable information regarding tumor depth, size, and vascular morphology to inform treatment planning and monitoring. The results show that the nanoparticles can be efficiently delivered into the glioblastoma via intravenous infusion and this PA shockwave therapy can selectively destroy glioblastoma tumors with no observable side effects on normal tissue.