Pancreatic cancer, one of the leading causes of
cancer-related mortality, is characterized by desmoplasia and hypovascular cancerous tissue, with a 5 year survival rate of <8%. To overcome the severe resistance of
pancreatic cancer to conventional
therapies, we synthesized
gold nanoshell-coated rod-like mesoporous
silica (GNRS) nanoparticles which integrated cascade
tumor targeting (mediated by photothermal effect and molecular receptor binding) and photothermal treatment-enhanced
gemcitabine chemotherapy, under mild near-infrared
laser irradiation condition. GNRS significantly improved
gemcitabine penetration and accumulation in
tumor tissues, thus destroying the dense stroma barrier of
pancreatic cancer and reinforcing chemosensitivity in mice. Our current findings strongly support the notion that further development of this integrated plasmonic photothermal strategy may represent a promising translational nanoformulation for effective treatment of
pancreatic cancer with integral cascade
tumor targeting strategy and enhanced drug delivery efficacy.