Targeted multimodal synergistic therapy of drug-resistant HER2-positive breast cancer by pyrotinib-ICG self-assembled nanoparticles

Neoadjuvant targeted therapy combining targeted agents with chemotherapy significantly improve survival rates of patients suffering from human epidermal receptor (HER2)-positive breast cancer (BC) in early or locally advanced stages. However, approximately 50% of patients fail to achieve a pathological complete response. In response, targeted photothermal therapy (PTT) and photodynamic therapy (PDT) have emerged as effective strategies to bolster primary tumors treatment. In this context, we developed a novel nanodrug, referred to as "P/ICG", which comprised of a tyrosine-kinase inhibitor pyrotinib and the photosensitizer indocyanine green (ICG). This formulation was created for the targeted and multimodal synergistic therapy of HER2-positive BC. Upon irradiation with near-infrared light, ICG generates high levels of intracellular reactive oxygen species and elevated temperature, enhancing chemotherapy effects of pyrotinib. This synergistic action boosts a highly effective anticancer effect promoting the ferroptosis pathway, providing an efficient therapeutic strategy for treating HER2-positive BC.