Abstract: The combination of photothermal therapy and chemotherapy (photothermal–­chemotherapy) is a promising strategy for cancer therapy. Gold nanocages (AuNCs), with hollow and porous structures and unique optical properties, have become a rising star in the field of drug delivery. Here, we designed a novel targeted drug delivery system based on functionalized AuNCs and evaluated their therapeutic effects in vitro and in vivo. We then loaded doxorubicin into this promising system, designated as DHTPAuNCs consisting of hyaluronic acid-grafted and A54 peptide-targeted PEGylated AuNCs. Its formation was corroborated by ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy and dynamic light scattering. This delivery platform needed hyaluronidase to release encapsulated drugs, meanwhile the acidic pH and near-infrared irradiation could accelerate the release. In addition, the results of cellular uptake demonstrate that this system could bind specifically with BEL-7402 cells. In vitro, we evaluated therapeutic effects of the DHTPAuNCs in BEL-7402 cells by 3-(4, 5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2, 5-diphenyl-tetrazolium bromide assay. Moreover, in BEL-7402 tumor-bearing nude mice, its therapy effect in vivo was also evaluated. As expected, DHTPAuNCs exhibited excellent therapeutic effect by photothermal–chemotherapy, both in vitro and in vivo. In short, DHTPAuNCs with low toxicity showed great potential as a drug delivery system for cancer therapy.
Keywords: hepatocellular carcinoma, nanocarriers, targeted delivery, chemotherapy, photothermal therapy