Abstract

Hypoxia as one characteristic hallmark of solid tumors has been demonstrated to be involved in cancer metastasis and progression, induce severe resistance to oxygen-dependent therapies, and hamper the transportation of theranostic agents. To address these issues, an oxygen-self-produced sonodynamic therapy (SDT) nanoplatform involving a modified fluorocarbon (FC)-chain-mediated oxygen delivery protocol has been established to realize highly efficient SDT against hypoxic pancreatic cancer. In this nanoplatform, mesopores and FC chains of FC-chain-functionalized hollow mesoporous organosilica nanoparticle carriers can provide sufficient storage capacity and binding sites for sonosensitizers (IR780) and oxygen, respectively. In vitro and in vivo experiments demonstrate the nanoplatform involving this distinctive oxygen delivery protocol indeed breaks the hypoxia-specific transportation barriers, supplies sufficient oxygen to hypoxic PANC-1 cells especially upon exposure to ultrasound irradiation, and relieves hypoxia. Consequently, hypoxia-induced resistance to SDT is inhibited and sufficient highly reactive oxygen species (ROS) are produced to kill PANC-1 cells and shrink hypoxic PANC-1 pancreatic cancer. This distinctive FC-chain-mediated oxygen delivery method provides an avenue to hypoxia oxygenation and holds great potential in mitigating hypoxia-induced resistance to those oxygen-depleted therapies, e.g., photodynamic therapy, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy.