Fig. 4
In vitro synergistic chemo-photothermal anti-cancer therapy. a Schematic illustration of the underlying mechanism of photothermal-augmented and DSF-based chemotherapy against breast cancer. b Relative cell viability of 4T1 cancer cells after incubation with DSF at elevated concentrations (0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.5, 1.0, and 2.0 μmol/L) with or without the addition of Cu2+. c Relative cell viability of 4T1 cancer cells after incubation with CuS at elevated concentrations (0, 1.5, 3.12, 6.25, 12.5, 25, and 50 μg/mL) for 6 and 24 h. d Relative cell viability of 4T1 cancer cells after incubation with HCu at elevated concentrations (0, 6.25, 12.5, 25, 50, 100, and 200 μg/mL) for 24 and 48 h. e Relative cell viability of 4T1 cells after different treatments, including control, DSF, DSF + CuCl2, DSF + CuS pH = 7.4, DSF + CuS pH = 6.0, DSF@HCu pH = 7.4, and DSF@HCu pH = 6.0. f Relative cell viability of 4T1 cancer cells after different treatments, including control, DSF, DSF + CuCl2, DSF@HMONs, DSF@HCu, PTT, HCu + PTT, and DSF@HCu + PTT. g CLSM images of 4T1 cancer cells after different treatments, as stained by calcein-AM (green) and PI (red). Scale bar: 40 μm. h Flow-cytometry apoptosis assay of 4T1 cancer cells after different treatments followed by staining with Annexin V-FITC/PI. i Representative FCM diagrams of 4T1 cells after different treatments. j Western blot shows CuET binds to and immobilizes NPL4. k Ratio of NPL4/Lamin B. Error bars in the graphs (b–f, h) represent standard deviation (n = 5). Error bars in graph k represent standard deviation (n = 3). *p < 0.05, calculated by one-way ANOVA test