Prof. Feng Gao
Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemistry for Natural Resource, Ministry of Education; School of Pharmacy, Yunnan University, China
Title: Exosome-Encapsulated Polymethoxy Ruthenium–Iron Oxide Nanoparticles for Multimodal Therapy and Imaging of Drug-Resistant Cancer
Abstract:
Despite the substantial progress achieved in emerging controllable antitumor modalities such as photodynamic therapy (PDT) and photothermal therapy (PTT), the precise tumor-targeted delivery of therapeutic agents remains a critical challenge. Nanoparticles can passively accumulate in tumor tissues to a certain extent via the enhanced permeability and retention (EPR) effect; however, their biosafety and long-term stability continue to raise significant concerns. In recent years, tumor cell-derived extracellular vesicles, particularly exosomes, have attracted increasing attention due to their inherent ability to achieve homologous targeting toward parent tumor cells. Therefore, the integration of photosensitizer molecules into nanoparticle systems, followed by further encapsulation within exosomes, represents a promising strategy to enhance tumor-specific delivery and therapeutic efficacy.
Currently, the most commonly employed strategy for conjugating drugs onto metal oxide nanoparticles relies on coordination interactions between hydroxyl groups and metal ions. However, hydroxyl-containing compounds are generally susceptible to oxidative degradation, especially under the highly oxidative conditions associated with PDT, where abundant reactive oxygen species (ROS) are generated. This inherent instability may compromise the structural integrity and therapeutic performance of the system. To address this limitation, we propose replacing hydroxyl groups with more stable methoxy functionalities, with the aim of improving oxidative resistance and maintaining the stability of the nanoparticle–drug conjugates under therapeutic conditions. In this study, we developed a biomimetic nanodelivery system based on tumor-derived exosomes for multimodal synergistic therapy and imaging diagnosis of cisplatin-resistant non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), aiming to establish a paradigm for efficient and low-toxicity theranostic intervention.
Biography:
Feng Gao received his B.S. and M.S. degrees from Nankai University and his Ph.D. from Sun Yat-Sen University. He conducted postdoctoral research at the Georgia Institute of Technology and the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. He is currently a Professor at the Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemistry for Natural Resources, College of Pharmacy, Yunnan University, China. He leads a multidisciplinary research group focused on bioinorganic and coordination chemistry. His research interests include the development of fluorescent and phosphorescent transition metal complexes for multi-modal synergistic cancer therapies and imaging (including photodynamic, sonodynamic, photothermal, and chemotherapy); the recognition of HIV TAR RNA and investigation of the activity and mechanism of anti-HIV reverse transcriptase inhibitors; and exploring the relationships among molecular structure, photophysical/photochemical properties, and biological activity through quantum chemical theoretical calculations.