On-demand drug release of ICG-liposomal wedelolactone combined photothermal therapy for tumor.

In the study, a new photoresponsive nano drug delivery system was developed by encapsulating indocyanine green into liposomes (ICG-liposomal wedelolactone), which could improve the water solubility and bioavailability of wedelolactone. The hyperthermia, produced by ICG under near-infrared (NIR) light irradiation, promoted wedelolactone release rapidly from the carriers. The release amount of ICG-liposomal wedelolactone under NIR irradiation reached up to 96.74% over 8h, achieving the drug of on-demand release. Moreover, the growth of HepG2 cells was obviously inhibited by ICG-liposomal wedelolactone under NIR, and the early apoptotic rate of HepG2 cells was 33.74%. The tumor inhibition rate was 81% in the mice bearing tumor treated with the drug system. The results proved that ICG-liposomal wedelolactone, as a novel drug delivery system to co-delivery chemotherapeutic agents and photothermal agents, achieved synergetic effect of chemotherapy and photothermotherapy, which will have an enormous potential in future cancer therapy.