Dr. Zhi Ping Xu

¹ Institute of Biomedical Health Technology and Engineering, and Institute of Systems and Physical Biology, Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, Shenzhen 518107, China.
² Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072 Australia.

Host: Associate Professor Ken Howard

Functional Clay Nanoparticles for Efficient Tumor NeoTherapy

Cancer is one of the most death-causing diseases, while single mode treatment often leads to low efficacy as well as systemic toxicity. Combining two or more different treatment modes would minimize systemic toxicity and probably synergically enhance the efficacy, especially via co-loading of two or multiple therapeutics in a nanoparticle delivery platform. Recently, our team has developed Cu-containing layered double hydroxide (Cu-LDH)-based nanocarriers for various combination cancer therapies. Taking advantages of LDH nanosystems, such as the high magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast capability, excellent photothermal property, and inherent heat/pH-triggered drug release of Cu-LDH nanoparticles, we have investigated several imaging-guided combination therapies. These combination therapies are all featured with very high treatment efficacy yet minimal therapeutic doses under mild conditions. 

On the other hand, we have developed drug-free nanomaterials to target the tumor microenvironment (TME) and stimulate the anti-tumor immunity. It is well known that TME possesses specific physiological properties, such as low pH, hypoxia, high levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and metabolites, and chronic inflammation. Recently, we utilized weakly alkaline LDH NPs to persistently neutralize the excess acid in the TME. Such a persistent neutralization helps effectively induce the cancer cell death and convert the cold TME to hot TME. We further functionalized LDH nanoparticles to specifically alleviate hypoxia and deplete lactate in the TME simultaneously. In such a way, the primary and distant tumor growth was significantly inhibited and the immunosuppressive TME was normalized into immunostimulant “hot” one in the mouse model.

Collectively, the functional LDH nanoparticles are a good nanosystem for the cancer treatment via combination therapy and modulation of the TME physiology.