Photothermal Amplification of Calcium Ion Overload for Tumor Homing Therapy

Calcium ion (Ca2+) overload has been extensively explored in tumor therapy; however, the inadequate concentrations of Ca2+ frequently result in suboptimal therapeutic outcomes. In this study, we developed curcumin (Cur)-loaded amorphous carbonated calcium nanoparticles (CaCur, NPs), which were coated with cancer cell membranes (CCM) to facilitate targeted delivery. Additionally, the fluorescence dye DiR was embedded into the CCM to achieve photothermal effects, thereby enabling the opening of the transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1) channel, which promotes amplified Ca2+ overload through increased Ca2+ influx. This work provides a photothermal amplification strategy aiming at improving antitumor efficacy by robustly enhancing the extent of Ca2+ overload through a tripartite collaboration.