Toward Glioblastoma Treatment with High Spatiotemporal Precision: Controlling Temozolomide Release from Upconverting Nanoparticles Using Near-Infrared Light.

As the first-line chemotherapeutic for glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), Temozolomide (TMZ) suffers from rapid degradation in physiological fluid, making it difficult to deliver sufficient doses of active TMZ to GBM tumors without inducing severe side effects. By protecting TMZ and then controlling its release using an external stimulus, we can prevent its premature degradation, thereby increasing its active concentration at the tumor site. Here, we present a near-infrared (NIR) controlled system in which TMZ is protected within a polymer before its on-demand release.

Upconverting Nanoparticles Coated with Light-Breakable Mesoporous Silica for NIR-Triggered Release of Hydrophobic Molecules.

Upconverting nanoparticles (UCNPs) doped with Yb and Tm are near-infrared (NIR) to ultraviolet (UV) transducers that can be used for NIR-controlled drug delivery. However, due to the low quantum yield of upconversion, high laser powers and long irradiation times are required to trigger this drug release. In this work, we report the one-step synthesis of a nanocomposite consisting of a LiYbF:Tm@LiYF UCNP coated with mesoporous UV-breakable organosilica shells of various thicknesses.

One-pot Stöber route yields template for Ag@carbon yolk-shell nanostructures.

A facile one-pot Stöber route is used to synthesize high-quality Ag, AgBr-silica-resorcinol formaldehyde polymer core-shell-shell nanospheres. The obtained core-shell-shell templates can be converted to Ag@carbon yolk-shell nanostructures with tunable dimensions.