mesoporous polydopamine

Mesoporous polydopamine (MPDA) is a biocompatible, mussel-inspired nanoparticle platform widely utilized in nanomedicine for targeted drug delivery and photothermal therapy. Synthesized with a high internal surface area and tunable pore structure, MPDA allows for the efficient encapsulation of various therapeutic agents, such as the PKM2 inhibitor shikonin. It exhibits strong near-infrared (NIR) absorbance, which enables its use as a photothermal agent that can trigger drug release or directly induce hyperthermic cell death in tumors. In research specifically targeting colorectal cancer liver metastases (CRLM), MPDA is often functionalized with targeting ligands like mannose (Man-MPDA) to enhance uptake by specific cell populations, such as tumor cells or M2-like tumor-associated macrophages. This targeted delivery helps modulate the tumor immune microenvironment, inhibit lactate-related metabolism, and reverse the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) to suppress cancer progression.

Other names

mesoporous polydopamine nanoparticlesMPDA nanoparticlesmussel-inspired polydopamine