Imaging-Guided Synergistic Photo-Chemotherapy Using Doxorubicin-Loaded Gadolinium Porphyrin-Based Metal–Organic Framework Nanosheets

Porphyrin-based metal–organic framework (MOF) nanosheets have promising potential for drug loading and imaging-guided photodynamic therapy. However, the feasibility of performing imaging-guided three-channel photodynamic-photothermal-chemotherapy to treat cancer was seldom reported. The study showed that the gadolinium-porphyrin-based MOF nanosystem (DOX-Gd-TCPP) was constructed by loading doxorubicin (DOX) on the surface of tetrakis (4-carboxyphenyl) porphyrin (TCPP) with chelated gadolinium(III) ions. DOX-Gd-TCPP displayed superior drug loading capacity (up to 60%). Compared to separate photothermal, photodynamic, or chemotherapy, DOX-Gd-TCPP nanosheets showed significantly higher efficacy against cancer through the combination effect of three-channel therapeutic modalities. Meanwhile, DOX-Gd-TCPP nanosheets exhibited excellent fluorescence and magnetic resonance imaging capability. It is predicted that the imaging-guided synergistic photo-chemotherapy strategy suggests that DOX-Gd-TCPP MOF nanosheets could potentially be used in cancer theranostics technology.