Au-Fe3O4 Janus nanoparticles for imaging-guided near infrared-enhanced ferroptosis therapy in triple negative breast cancer

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is insensitive to conventional therapy due to its highly invasive nature resulting in poor therapeutic outcomes. Recent studies have shown multiple genes associated with ferroptosis in TNBC, suggesting an opportunity for ferroptosis-based treatment of TNBC. However, the efficiency of present ferroptosis agents for cancer is greatly restricted due to lack of specificity and low intracellular levels of H2O2 in cancer cells. Herein, we report a nano-theranostic platform consisting of gold (Au)-iron oxide (Fe3O4) Janus nanoparticles (GION@RGD) that effectively enhances the tumor-specific Fenton reaction through utilization of near-infrared (NIR) lasers, resulting in the generation of substantial quantities of toxic hydroxyl radicals (•OH). Specifically, Au nanoparticles (NPs) converted NIR light energy into thermal energy, inducing generation of abundant intracellular H2O2, thereby enhancing the iron-induced Fenton reaction. The generated •OH not only lead to apoptosis of malignant tumor cells but also induce the accumulation of lipid peroxides, causing ferroptosis of tumor cells. After functionalizing with the activity-targeting ligand RGD (Arg-Gly-Asp), precise synergistic treatment of TNBC was achieved in vivo under the guidance of Fe3O4 enhanced T2-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). This synergistic treatment strategy of NIR-enhanced ferroptosis holds promise for the treatment of TNBC.