Targeted co-delivery of curcumin and erlotinib by MoS(2) nanosheets for the combination of synergetic chemotherapy and photothermal therapy of lung cancer

BACKGROUND: Curcumin (Cur), a bioactive component of Chinese traditional medicine, has demonstrated inhibitory properties against cancer cell proliferation while synergistically enhancing the anticancer efficacy of erlotinib (Er). However, the individual limitations of both drugs, including poor aqueous solubility, lack of targeting ability, short half-life, etc., and their distinct pharmacokinetic profiles mitigate or eliminate their combined antitumor potential. RESULTS: In this study, we developed a molybdenum disulfide (MoS(2))-based delivery system, functionalized with polyethylene glycol (PEG) and biotin, and co-loaded with Cur and Er, to achieve efficient cancer therapy. The MoS(2)-PEG-Biotin-Cur/Er system effectively converted near-infrared (NIR) light into heat, thereby inducing direct photothermal ablation of cancer cells and promoting controlled release of Cur and Er. Biotin-mediated tumor targeting facilitated the selective accumulation of MoS(2)-PEG-Biotin-Cur/Er at the tumor site, thus enhancing the synergistic antitumor effects of Cur and Er. Remarkably, MoS(2)-PEG-Biotin-Cur/Er achieved the combination of synergistic chemotherapy and photothermal therapy (PTT) upon NIR irradiation, effectively suppressing lung cancer cell proliferation and inhabiting tumor growth in vivo. CONCLUSIONS: The as-synthesized MoS(2)-PEG-Biotin-Cur/Er, featuring high targeting ability, NIR light-responsive drug release, and the integration of synergistic chemotherapy and PTT, may provide a promising strategy for the treatment of lung cancer in clinical practice. GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT: [Image: see text] SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12951-023-02099-4.