Intelligent porphyrin nano-delivery system for photostimulated and targeted inhibition of angiogenesis

As a first-line anticancer drug, sunitinib (SUN) can significantly inhibit tumor growth through an antiangiogenic effect. The nanocarrier drug-delivery strategy has been rapidly developed to improve therapeutic efficiency and drug safety. This study designed an intelligent liposome-like nanoporphyrin to broaden the application range of sunitinib. Additionally, we suggest that this personalized drug decoration and loading design can achieve more different functions. In this study, lipid-purpurin18 conjugates (Pp18-lipids) were synthesized by conjugating photosensitizer purpurin-18 (Pp18) with a phospholipid. Then, a porphyrin nano-delivery system (iPlipo-SUN) was developed by iRGD-modified Pp18-lipids-embedded liposome-carrying SUN. The system confers the targeted light-triggered SUN release, phototoxic properties, and antiangiogenesis onto iPlipo-SUN to multi-directionally suppress tumor growth. IPlipo-SUN was more effective than a maximum-tolerated dose of free SUN with its spatiotemporal control of drug release and intrinsic therapeutic effects. Therefore, the iPlipo-SUN offers new prospects for synergistic treatment that can be extended to explore tumor regrowth inhibition in clinical application.