Theranostics Using Indocyanine Green Lactosomes

SIMPLE SUMMARY: Lactosomes™ are biocompatible nanoparticles that can be used for cancer tissue imaging and drug delivery. Lactosomes are amphiphilic micelles in which the particle size can be controlled in the range of 20 to 100 nm. Lactosomes can also be loaded with imaging probes and anticancer agents. Indocyanine green-loaded lactosomes accumulate in cancer tissues and function as a photosensitizer, which simultaneously enables diagnosis and photodynamic therapy. This approach can facilitate the treatment of cancers in unresectable tissues, which can lead to improved quality of life for patients. This review provides an overview of lactosomes with respect to molecular design, accumulation in cancer tissues, and theranostics applications. We also address some outstanding questions and future directions in cancer theranostics. ABSTRACT: Lactosomes™ are biocompatible nanoparticles that can be used for cancer tissue imaging and drug delivery. Lactosomes are polymeric micelles formed by the self-assembly of biodegradable amphiphilic block copolymers composed of hydrophilic polysarcosine and hydrophobic poly-L-lactic acid chains. The particle size can be controlled in the range of 20 to 100 nm. Lactosomes can also be loaded with hydrophobic imaging probes and photosensitizers, such as indocyanine green. Indocyanine green-loaded lactosomes are stable for long-term circulation in the blood, allowing for accumulation in cancer tissues. Such lactosomes function as a photosensitizer, which simultaneously enables fluorescence diagnosis and photodynamic therapy. This review provides an overview of lactosomes with respect to molecular design, accumulation in cancer tissue, and theranostics applications. The use of lactosomes can facilitate the treatment of cancers in unresectable tissues, such as glioblastoma and head and neck cancers, which can lead to improved quality of life for patients with recurrent and unresectable cancers. We conclude by describing some outstanding questions and future directions for cancer theranostics with respect to clinical applications.