Targeting carbon nanotubes based on IGF-1R for photothermal therapy of orthotopic pancreatic cancer guided by optical imaging

Abstract Pancreatic cancer is one of the most lethal malignancies worldwide. The existing therapeutic regimen in the clinic for advanced inoperable carcinomas are far from satisfactory, thus it is urgent to seek more effective anticancer strategies. In the pursuit of novel, more effective interventions, photothermal therapy (PTT) based on nanomaterials has attracted increased attention. Recent advances in related fields have catalyzed the generation of novel nanoprobes, such as organic dyes, metal nanoparticles. However, organic dyes are poorly stable and easy to quench while metal nanoparticles with potential metal toxicity are difficult to degrade, both of which have low light-to-heat conversion efficiency, broad spectrum of anti-tumor effects, and lack of tumor targeting specificity. Single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) can remedy the above inadequacies. Herein, we report our water-soluble, bio-stable and low-toxicity SWNTs with excellent photothermal conversion efficiency. Specific modifications can enable visualization of the aggregate characteristics of SWNTs at the macroscopic or microscopic level in tumors. The dye-conjugated SWNTs bound with targeting antibodies that can induce them specifically targeting to pancreatic tumors for purposes of performing dyes imaging-guided cytotoxic PTT. PTT using this method achieves precise and excellent curative effects with minimal adverse effects, thus providing a promising strategy for anticancer therapy.