A light-controlled nanomedicine for precise drug delivery to treat colorectal cancer

A research team from Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacy, LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong (HKUMed), has developed a photo-responsive nanomedicine for light-controlled colorectal cancer therapy. The nanoparticles are simply made by self-assembly of a near-infrared dye and a prodrug. After intravenous injection, the nanoparticles can target colon tumors and release drugs to kill cancer cells upon light irradiation. This process can be in-situ monitored by in vivo imaging. The research has been published in Bioengineering & Translational Medicine, and a patent application has been filed based on this work.