NIR-Activated Thermosensitive Liposome–Gold Nanorod Hybrids for Enhanced Drug Delivery and Stimulus Sensitivity

Combinatorial photothermal therapy and chemotherapy is an extremely promising tumor therapeutic modality. However, such systems still remain challenges in stimulus sensitivity, avoiding drug leakage, and therapeutic safety. To solve these problems, we engineered actively loaded doxorubicin (DOX) and gold nanorod (GNR) liposomes through embedding stiff hollow mesoporous silica nanoparticles (HMSNs) in the liposomal water cavity (HMLGDB) to resist the influence of shear force of GNRs to prevent drug leakage. Under 808 nm laser irradiation, the ambient temperature was raised greatly because of the photothermal conversion of GNRs, thereby rupturing the lipid layer and then triggering the DOX release. The results of in vitro experiments showed that the low concentration of HMLGDB (15 μg/mL) could effectively overcome the MCF-7 cells (human breast cancer cell line) by the increase of DOX concentration intracellularly and the good photothermal effect of GNRs. After intravenous injection, HMLGDB exhibited intratumor aggregation and PTT capacity. Furthermore, the combined chemo–photothermal antitumor strategy demonstrated a high inhibition of tumor growth and low damage to normal tissues. The developed hybrids provide a paradigm for efficient combinatorial photothermal therapy (PTT) and chemotherapy (CT).