Non-invasive Cancer Therapy

Qiu’s group has more than 10 years of experience on non-invasive cancer therapy, centering on the engineering of stimuli-responsive nanomedicines that maximize therapeutic precision while eliminating systemic toxicity. The major breakthrough involves the design of pH-responsive, rod-shaped assemblies utilizing semishell Janus nanoparticles that remain dormant in healthy tissue but undergo structural transitions in the acidic microenvironment of tumors. This site-specific activation optimizes photothermal conversion efficiency, allowing for the targeted destruction of malignant cells through near-infrared light-induced heat without surgical intervention. By integrating asymmetric nanoparticle chemistry with localized biochemical triggers, our work has established a sophisticated platform for non-invasive brain cancer therapy, advancing precision medicine to offer safer, highly effective alternatives to traditional cancer treatments.

In vitro evaluations of cancer cell membrane (CCM)-poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) nanoparticle penetration into tumor spheroids. a) Central cross-section U87 spheroids penetrated by DiD-labellednanoparticles. b) Mean penetration depth of various nanoparticles. Scale bar: 100 μm. Data were analyzed with One-way ANOVA (n = 4). ** p < 0.01,*** p < 0.001, **** p < 0.0001*