Hyaluronic acid-modified metal–organic framework for two-photon imaging-guided photodynamic therapy in triple negative breast cancer

Zr-based metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) using thiazolothiazole as an organic ligand exhibit excellent two-photon excited fluorescence performance, particularly in the generation of reactive oxygen species. In this study, a ZrTc nanoMOF was designed and modified with hyaluronic acid (HA) to provide good biocompatibility and cancer cell-specific targeting. In triple negative breast cancer (TNBC), the optimized composite ZrTc@HA exhibited considerable two-photon activity and excellent light-triggered O2·− generation ability at an excitation wavelength of 780 nm. ZrTc@HA can be used as a diagnostic probe for fluorescence imaging and as a therapeutic agent for photodynamic therapy (PDT) with no remarkable toxicity in vitro or in a subcutaneous tumor model in vivo. In summary, we developed a promising two-photon-activated ZrTc@HA for PDT in TNBC, with immense potential for advancements in monotherapy and synergistic phototherapy.