Methotrexate coated AZA-BODIPY nanoparticles for chemotherapy, photothermal and photodynamic synergistic therapy

Multifunctional chitosan-based nanoparticles were designed and synthesized by photosensitizer (PS) AZA-BODIPY grafting water-soluble chitosan as nanoshells and then loaded drug methotrexate (MTX) into the nanoshells, which generated chemotherapy, photothermal therapy (PTT), photodynamic therapy (PDT) and imaging into one system for synergistic therapy in vitro. The nanoshells in this designed nanostructure can serve as drug carriers to increase solubility, reduce toxicity and enhance the efficacy of synergistic PTT and PDT. Cellviability indicated the low toxicity and safety of chitosan-based AZA-BODIPY nanoshells as carrier materials and the low-drug dosage of chitosan-based nanoparticles (half-maximal inhibitory concentration, IC50 = 34.5 mu g/mL) is lower than that of pure drug MTX (IC50 = 56.9 mu g/mL). Under light irradiation, photothermal temperature and MTT studies show that nanoparticles produce reactive oxygen species and exhibit photothermal conversion efficiency (38.3%). Thus, this study provides a multifunctional nanoparticle with chemotherapy, photothermal, photodynamic and imaging, synergistic therapy and diagnose for cancer treatment.