Polyethylene glycol-modified nanoscale conjugated polymer for the photothermal therapy of lung cancer

Killing tumor cells efficiently with photothermal therapy remains a huge challenge. In this study, we successfully prepared a novel polymer with photothermal conversion capability via a condensation reaction, and then subjected it to Polyethylene glycol (PEG) modification and ultrasonic nanocrystalline treatment to make it suitable for in vivo photothermal therapy applications. The conjugated polymer demonstrated good biocompatibility and photothermal conversion ability and was shown in cell experiments to be effective in killing tumor cells after laser irradiation. In addition, the conjugated polymer-based photothermal therapy, guided by photoacoustic real-time imaging and mediated by laser irradiation, of a tumor-bearing mouse model could effectively inhibit the growth of tumor tissue and demonstrated good in vivo biosafety. Thus, photothermal therapy based on the conjugated polymer synthesized in this study provides a new idea and strategy for the treatment of lung cancer.