Nanomedicine Fabricated from A Boron-dipyrromethene (BODIPY)-Embedded Amphiphilic Copolymer for Photothermal-Enhanced Chemotherapy

To overcome the shortcomings of chemotherapy including side effects and uncontrollable release, as well as to increase the therapeutic efficacy, a diblock copolymer (mPEG-b-PLA-BODIPY) was constructed containing a NIR absorbing boron-dipyrromethene (BODIPY) tail, a hydrophobic polylactide (PLA) segment, and a hydrophilic poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) segment. The nanoparticles self-assembled from mPEG-b-PLA-BODIPY with a core–shell structure were utilized to load docetaxel (DTX) in the core through hydrophobic interaction. Tailored drug release and high tumor penetration of the nanomedicine were realized by fully taking advantage of photothermal effect and the enhanced penetration and retention effect, facilitating enhanced therapeutic performance and reducing undesirable side effects. In vivo antitumor studies demonstrate that photothermal-enhanced chemotherapy effectively suppresses tumor progression, while systemic toxicity and side effects of DTX are remarkably decreased benefiting from rational design. This pioneering example provides a blueprint for the next generation of polymeric delivery vehicles integrating novel theranostic functions.