Tailored nanoplatforms with detachable ‘meteorolite’ for photothermal-enhanced programmed tumor therapy

The premature drug release, multidrug resistance, and limited tumor penetration ability have vastly weakened the chemotherapy effect. To surmount this dilemma, iRGD modified red-light emitting carbon dots (CD R ) were gated on paclitaxel (PTX) loaded hollow mesoporous carbon (HMC) via cleavable disulfide bonds for photothermal-enhanced programmed tumor therapy. The HMC vehicles were designed based on their high photothermal conversion efficiency and tailored mesoporous structure with considerable drug loading capacity. The fluorescent CD R worked as the smart gatekeepers to prevent premature release, photothermal agents to enhance the photothermal effect of HMC, and the fluorescent agent to visualize the delivery process. The modification of iRGD peptide could promote the targeting and penetration capacities of PTX/HMC-CD-iRGD. The tailored nanoplatforms could promptly divide into (1) unlocked PTX/HMC for synergistic thermo-chemotherapy on the surface of tumor cells, and (2) abundant CD R -iRGD as detachable ‘meteorolite’ with enhanced penetration ability to realize photothermal ablation at the deep-seated tumor. PTX/HMC-CD-iRGD showed outstanding synergistic cells killing efficiency of chemotherapy and photothermal therapy at different depths, exhibiting great potential in clinical application. • Hollow mesoporous carbon (HMC) was used as a NIR-absorbing carrier with high loading. • CD R worked as the smart gatekeepers, photothermal agents and the fluorescent tracker. • The iRGD can promote the targeting and penetration of PTX/HMC-CD-iRGD. • CD R -iRGD and HMC were combined for enhanced thermochemotherapy at different depths.