MRI-guided thermoradiotherapy of glioblastoma multiforme using Gd3+-loaded melanin nanoparticles reverses anoikis resistance pathway

Motivation: Glioblastoma multiforme is a highly aggressive cancer, of which anoikis resistance contributes to the strong resistance to standard therapies resulting in a poor prognosis. Goal(s): MRI-guided thermoradiotherapy is an attractive and innovative strategy for treating GBM, offering superior biocompatibility and therapeutic efficacy compared to conventional therapies. Approach: Herein, we synthesized Gd-MNP-PEGs that present excellent MR imaging ability, photothermal conversion capability, and radiosensitizing effect. Results: It contributes to i) MR imaging of GBM to identify tumor boundaries, ii) radiosensitizing GBM with photothermal therapy to inhibit the proliferation and metastasis of GBM, iii) reversing anoikis resistance via thermoradiotherapy to improve therapeutic outcomes. Impact: This study presents biocompatible nanoplatforms that allow MR imaging, high anti-tumor thermoradiotherapy efficacy, and negligible side effects in the treatment of GBM.