Near-Infrared Responsive Bimetallic Nanovesicles for Enhanced Synergistic Chemophotothermal Therapy

Limited therapeutic effects and obvious side effects are two critical problems affecting tumor therapy. Herein, we designed an ingenious nanocarrier, platinum/gold bimetallic-nanoshell-coated triptolide liposomes (Pt@Au-TP-Lips), to achieve enhanced chemophotothermal therapy against cancer. Compared to conventional gold nanoflower structures, the platinum/gold bimetallic (Pt@Au) core–shells exhibited broader near-infrared (NIR) absorption due to the ultrastrong plasmonic coupling effect. With NIR light irradiation, the Pt@Au nanostructure could efficiently and sustainably convert light energy into substantial heat. The ultrahigh photothermal conversion efficiency (56.5%) of Pt@Au-TP-Lips was significantly higher than that of gold nanoflowers (35.7%). Specifically, hyperthermia could induce a phase change in the liposome membrane to accelerate the release of triptolide (TP); meanwhile, it could ablate tumor cells directly and facilitate the cellular uptake of drugs to enhance chemotherapy. More importantly, owing to the cooperation of TP and platinum, Pt@Au-TP-Lips exhibited significant tumor growth suppression with a high inhibitory rate of 90.7%, achieving superior chemophotothermal combination therapy. This work provides new insight into the development of a cooperative theranostic agent for oncotherapy.