Among the total number of deaths caused by different types of cancer, esophageal cancer is the sixth most significant. Several conventional treatments, such as radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and surgery have multiple side effects, including off-target toxicity and multidrug resistance (MDR).
Another strategy for esophageal cancer treatment is chemo-photodynamic therapy, the efficacy of which is limited by its inability to target tumors, lack of suitable microenvironment for photodynamic therapy (PDT), and tendency to cause adverse side effects.
Scientists sought to address these limitations of the existing therapies and developed a novel theranostic nanoplatform, namely, GCDs-Ce6/Pt-EGF, which has been found to be effective against esophageal cancer. This study has been recently published in Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy.
Conventional Treatments of Esophageal Cancer
The majority of the available treatments for esophageal cancers come with some limitations. For instance, as this type of cancer is prone to metastasis, surgery cannot completely remove the tumor. In the case of radiotherapy, the narrow dose window limits its purpose. Low-dose radionuclides have limited tumor cell killing ability, while high dosage can affect healthy cells as well.
Although chemotherapy, using Cisplatin or Doxorubicin, can effectively eliminate tumor cells with metastasis and has a superior anti-tumor effect, it often severely damages the kidney and liver of the patient. Combinational therapy, such as chemoradiation with surgery, was effective against esophageal cancer, but this therapy showed high in-hospital mortality.
Two of the limitations associated with photothermal therapy and oxidative therapy are the recurrence of tumor cells and damage caused to off-target non-cancerous cells as well. PDT is effective against different types of cancers, such as breast, prostate, liver, and esophagus, with a better biosafety effect. However, its effectiveness is compromised by abundant glutathione (GSH) in the tumor microenvironment and hypoxia.
Nanotechnology-based Cancer Treatments
Nanoparticles are widely used in biomedical research, owing to their nanoscale dimension (1–100 nm) and multiple unique properties. Carbon nanodots are a type of carbon nanoparticle that is applied for fluorescence sensing, bioimaging, and drug delivery. The development of tumor-targeted drug delivery systems is essential to facilitate tumor-specific treatment without adversely affecting the normal cells.
Drugs are often modified to identify tumor cells by recognizing specific receptors expressed in them. In many types of cancers, including esophageal cancer, the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is found to be overexpressed. Compared to healthy individuals, esophageal cancer patients exhibit a significantly higher expression of EGFR protein in the mucosa. Hence, this receptor has been utilized as a key target for anti-tumor drug delivery.
A Novel Theranostic Nanoplatform for Esophageal Cancer Treatment
Recently, scientists have developed an all-in-one theranostic nanoplatform, known as GCDs-Ce6/Pt-EGF for esophageal cancer treatment. This nanoplatform utilized green fluorescence carbon dots (GCDs), which were synthesized using p-aminosalicylic acid and p-aminobenzamide with a molar ratio of 1:1 at 200℃ for 6 hours, via the hydrothermal method.
GCDs were characterized using atomic force microscopy (AFM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), which revealed a uniform dispersion of quasi-sphere GCD nanomaterials of 4.72 nm size. The fluorescence quantum yield of GCDs was estimated to be 10.62%. Most importantly, this nanoparticle exhibited excellent optical stability.
To construct the GCDs-Ce6/Pt-EGF nanoplatform, researchers grafted chlorin e6 (Ce6), which is a photosensitizer, chemotherapy agent Pt (IV), and the targeting unit epidermal growth factor (EGF) on GCDs. Here, the drug loading rates of Ce6 and Pt (IV) were estimated to be 8.53% and 19.36%, respectively. The drug loading capacity of GCDs-Ce6/Pt-EGF nanoplatform was observed to be significantly more than other nanoplatforms.
Post irradiation at 660 nm wavelength, photosensitizer Ce6 induced cell death by generating reactive oxygen species (ROS). This phenomenon induced tumor cell apoptosis. Both in vitro and in vivo studies strongly indicated that the GCDs-Ce6/Pt-EGF exhibited superior photodynamic properties and could be effectively applied for esophageal tumor imaging as well as the elimination of esophageal cancer cells (therapeutic effect).
The mechanism driving the GCDs-Ce6/Pt-EGF nanoplatform is the targeting of esophageal cancer cells, bearing EGFR, and penetration of the tumor cells. After internalization within the tumor cells, Pt(IV) gets converted to Pt(II) by intracellular GSH, which ultimately kills tumor cells.
Interestingly, this study revealed that GCDs-Ce6/Pt-EGF displayed better anti-tumor effects compared to Cisplatin. Researchers stated that this nanomedicine could not only restrict tumor cell migration but also target tumor cells by recognizing EGF receptors. Other important aspects of this theranostic nanoplatform are direct cell killing capacity by Pt(II) and laser irradiation.
The GCDs-Ce6/Pt-EGF nanoplatform displayed excellent biosafety, as it rendered negligible cytotoxicity to normal esophageal cells. This could be due to three reasons, i.e., superior tumor targeting capability that reduces off-target toxicity, the release of toxic platinum only in GSH-rich tumor microenvironment, and Ce6 induced PDT effect with laser irradiation. Scientists are optimistic that utilizing all-in-one GCDs-Ce6/Pt-EGF theranostic nanoplatform could be beneficial for treating esophageal cancer patients.
News
How the FDA opens the door to risky chemicals in America’s food supply
Lining the shelves of American supermarkets are food products with chemicals linked to health concerns. To a great extent, the FDA allows food companies to determine for themselves whether their ingredients and additives are [...]
Superbug crisis could get worse, killing nearly 40 million people by 2050
The number of lives lost around the world due to infections that are resistant to the medications intended to treat them could increase nearly 70% by 2050, a new study projects, further showing the [...]
How Can Nanomaterials Be Programmed for Different Applications?
Nanomaterials are no longer just small—they are becoming smart. Across fields like medicine, electronics, energy, and materials science, researchers are now programming nanomaterials to behave in intentional, responsive ways. These advanced materials are designed [...]
Microplastics Are Invading Our Arteries, and It Could Be Increasing Your Risk of Stroke
Higher levels of micronanoplastics were found in carotid artery plaque, especially in people with stroke symptoms, suggesting a potential new risk factor. People with plaque buildup in the arteries of their neck have been [...]
Gene-editing therapy shows early success in fighting advanced gastrointestinal cancers
Researchers at the University of Minnesota have completed a first-in-human clinical trial testing a CRISPR/Cas9 gene-editing technique to help the immune system fight advanced gastrointestinal (GI) cancers. The results, recently published in The Lancet Oncology, show encouraging [...]
Engineered extracellular vesicles facilitate delivery of advanced medicines
Graphic abstract of the development of VEDIC and VFIC systems for high efficiency intracellular protein delivery in vitro and in vivo. Credit: Nature Communications (2025). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-59377-y. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-59377-y Researchers at Karolinska Institutet have developed a technique [...]
Brain-computer interface allows paralyzed users to customize their sense of touch
University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine scientists are one step closer to developing a brain-computer interface, or BCI, that allows people with tetraplegia to restore their lost sense of touch. While exploring a digitally [...]
Scientists Flip a Gut Virus “Kill Switch” – Expose a Hidden Threat in Antibiotic Treatment
Scientists have long known that bacteriophages, viruses that infect bacteria, live in our gut, but exactly what they do has remained elusive. Researchers developed a clever mouse model that can temporarily eliminate these phages [...]
Enhanced Antibacterial Polylactic Acid-Curcumin Nanofibers for Wound Dressing
Background Wound healing is a complex physiological process that can be compromised by infection and impaired tissue regeneration. Conventional dressings, typically made from natural fibers such as cotton or linen, offer limited functionality. Nanofiber [...]
Global Nanomaterial Regulation: A Country-by-Country Comparison
Nanomaterials are materials with at least one dimension smaller than 100 nanometres (about 100,000 times thinner than a human hair). Because of their tiny size, they have unique properties that can be useful in [...]
Pandemic Potential: Scientists Discover 3 Hotspots of Deadly Emerging Disease in the US
Virginia Tech researchers discovered six new rodent carriers of hantavirus and identified U.S. hotspots, highlighting the virus’s adaptability and the impact of climate and ecology on its spread. Hantavirus recently drew public attention following reports [...]
Studies detail high rates of long COVID among healthcare, dental workers
Researchers have estimated approximately 8% of Americas have ever experienced long COVID, or lasting symptoms, following an acute COVID-19 infection. Now two recent international studies suggest that the percentage is much higher among healthcare workers [...]
Melting Arctic Ice May Unleash Ancient Deadly Diseases, Scientists Warn
Melting Arctic ice increases human and animal interactions, raising the risk of infectious disease spread. Researchers urge early intervention and surveillance. Climate change is opening new pathways for the spread of infectious diseases such [...]
Scientists May Have Found a Secret Weapon To Stop Pancreatic Cancer Before It Starts
Researchers at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory have found that blocking the FGFR2 and EGFR genes can stop early-stage pancreatic cancer from progressing, offering a promising path toward prevention. Pancreatic cancer is expected to become [...]
Breakthrough Drug Restores Vision: Researchers Successfully Reverse Retinal Damage
Blocking the PROX1 protein allowed KAIST researchers to regenerate damaged retinas and restore vision in mice. Vision is one of the most important human senses, yet more than 300 million people around the world are at [...]
Differentiating cancerous and healthy cells through motion analysis
Researchers from Tokyo Metropolitan University have found that the motion of unlabeled cells can be used to tell whether they are cancerous or healthy. They observed malignant fibrosarcoma [...]
