Photothermal drug delivery via SPIO@C@PDA nanocomposites for targeted colorectal cancer treatment

Colorectal cancer (CRC), a common and lethal malignancy, has been a major global health challenge, as current clinical treatments are constrained by poor precision, severe side effects, and the complex tumor microenvironment. It is noteworthy that nanotechnology has brought about significant breakthroughs in traditional medicine, enabling the development of intelligent nanoscale systems tailored to specific requirements to overcome the drawbacks of clinical CRC treatments. Herein, a versatile nanotherapeutic agent is developed via integrating superparamagnetic iron oxide (SPIO) nanoparticles (NPs), carbon (C) intermediate layer, and outermost polydopamine (PDA) layer for CRC therapy. The as-designed SPIO@C@PDA NPs effectively serve as a photothermal therapy (PTT) agent for thermal ablation and a carrier for cisplatin delivery. The combination of PTT and chemotherapy holds promise in overcoming the limitations of monotherapy, which can avoid the administration of high-dose cisplatin, mitigate side effects, and achieve synergistic antitumor effectiveness. Hence, this innovative platform leverages the combination of functional materials to eradicate CRC and validate the feasibility of synergistic chemo-photothermal therapy.