Abstract
Microbubbles have been widely studied as ultrasound contrast agents and drug/gene carriers. However, their short lifetime and micron-sized would hamper their applications. Mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNPs) with large surface areas and pore volume allow for high drug payload and controllable release feature. Our previous studies showed that superhydrophobic MSNPs can adsorb surface bubbles, which can be served as cavitation nuclei and prevent drug leakage. Moreover, their durable cavitation capability makes it possible to perform repeatable treatments with a single injection. Herein, we apply superhydrophobic Dox-loaded MSNPs to concurrently carry out anti-vascular (vessel disruption to promote nanoparticles accumulation), sonodynamic (cavitation activity to kill tumor cells by free radicals) and chemo (drug release to long-lasting treatment) therapy in solid tumors.