Near-Infrared Light-Accelerated Bioorthogonal Drug Uncaging and Photothermal Ablation by Anisotropic Pd@Au Plasmonic Nanorods

Ortega-Liebana, M. Carmen ; Travnickova, Jana ; Adam, Catherine ; González-Calderón, Davir ; Lorente-Macías, Álvaro ; Lochenie, Charles ; Arenal, Raul ; Patton, E. Elizabeth ; Unciti-Broceta, Asier

Resumen: Selective activation of chemotherapeutics at the tumor site via bioorthogonal catalysis is a promising strategy to reduce collateral damage to healthy tissues and organs. Despite significant advances in this field, targeted drug activation by transition-metal catalysts is still limited by insufficient spatiotemporal control over the metal-mediated uncaging process. Herein, we report the development of anisotropic Pd@Au plasmonic nanorods with the capacity to accelerate dealkylation reactions under near-infrared (NIR) irradiation, thereby enabling precise control over when and where these catalytic devices are switched on. We also show that the stability and in cellulo chemical properties of Pd@Au nanorods are enhanced by Au–S functionalization with PEGylated phospholipids and report the development of a novel masking group for prodyes and prodrugs: the POxOC group, designed to improve physicochemical properties and the rate of the Pd-triggered dye/drug release process. NIR-photoactivation of lipo-Pd@Au nanorods is able to catalyze the uncaging of inactive drug precursors and release heat to the environment, killing cancer cells in culture and xenografted in zebrafish. This work provides a novel targeted strategy for photothermal chemotherapy by NIR-laser focalization.

Idioma: Inglés

DOI: 10.1021/jacs.5c07261

Año: 2025

Publicado en: Journal of the American Chemical Society 147, 27 (2025), 23980-23990
ISSN: 0002-7863

Financiación: info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/ES/AEI/PID2023-151080NB-I00
Financiación: info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/ES/DGA/E13-23R
Financiación: info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/EC/H2020/823717/EU/Enabling Science and Technology through European Electron Microscopy/ESTEEM3
Financiación: info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/ES/MICINN/PID2023-147912OA-I00
Financiación: info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/ES/MICIU/CEX2023-001286-S

Tipo y forma: Artículo (Versión definitiva)