Environmentally Responsive Fe ₃ O ₄ @HKUST-1 MOF as a Platform for Synergistic Chemo-Photothermal Therapy in Cancer Treatment

The use of nanocarriers with combined photothermal and chemotherapeutic methods has been widely accepted as a promising anti-tumor treatment strategy. Leveraging the tumor-specific microenvironment, these nanocarriers enhance therapeutic outcomes. Our research developed an innovative drug carrier platform, which was composed of the Metal-Organic Framework (MOF) HKUST-1 as a drug carrier and the Fe 3 O 4 nanoparticles as a photothermal functional phase. This novel carrier demonstrated an impressive drug loading rate of 110% for Doxorubicin (DOX), suggesting a high capacity for drug delivery. Additionally, the as-prepared nanocarrier also displayed excellent photothermal conversion capability, which can efficiently convert light into heat under near-infrared light with 980 nm irradiation, thus utilizing photothermal therapy for tumors. The release mechanism of pH sensitivity of the carrier expedited drug release under acidic conditions, aligning with the tumor microenvironment. Biocompatibility assays confirmed the excellent compatibility of Fe 3 O 4 @HKUST-1 with normal tissue cells. While photothermal therapy alone successfully induced apoptosis in tumor cells, the treatment’s efficacy requires improvement as cell viability remained at 80%. Conversely, combining chemotherapy with photothermal therapy decreased cell viability to 30%, thereby effectively inhibiting proliferation. In sum, the Fe 3 O 4 @HKUST-1 drug delivery system exhibits significant potential in medical applications due to its dual-therapy approach.