Cisplatin-incorporating gelatin-coated gadolinium oxide nanoparticles for cancer theranostics

Sep 22, 2026

Uploaded by Rowan

Developing theranostic probes that combine cancer diagnosis and therapy simultaneously remains a major focus. This study reports synthesis and in vivo evaluation of cisplatin-incorporating gelatin-coated gadolinium oxide nanoparticles (gelatin-CDDP-Gd2O3 NPs) as a highly efficient cancer theranostic platform. Cisplatin release is triggered by enzymatic degradation of the surface gelatin by MMP-2 and MMP-9 enriched in cancer cells. The resulting dual-contrast capability enables magnetic resonance and photoacoustic imaging with high tumor contrast enhancement, while maintaining strong antitumor activity and low systemic toxicity.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

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Pages15

Reading Time38 min

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Introduction

iScience Article Cisplatin-incorporating gelatin-coated gadolinium oxide nanoparticles for cancer theranostics Graphical abstract Highlights • CDDP was stably incorporated into NPs via coordination interaction with gelatin • Release of CDDP showed high enzymatic responsiveness • Dual-MR and PA imaging were achieved with high contrast enhancement of tumors • Gelatin-CDDP-Gd2O3 NPs showed strong antitumor activity and low systemic toxicity Authors Xingchen Wang, Yu Kimura, Risako Miura, Hirohiko Imai, Teruyuki Kondo Correspondence [ykimura@scl.kyoto-u.ac.jp](ykimura@scl.kyoto-u.ac.jp) (Y.K.), [teruyuki@scl.kyoto-u.ac.jp](teruyuki@scl.kyoto-u.ac.jp) (T.K.) In brief Nanotechnology; Medical biotechnology; Cancer Wang et al., 2026, iScience 29, 115010 March 20, 2026 © 2026 The Author(s) . Published by Elsevier Inc. [https://doi.org/10.1016/j.isci.2026.115010](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.isci.2026.115010) ll iScience ll OPEN ACCESS Article Cisplatin-incorporating gelatin-coated gadolinium oxide nanoparticles for cancer theranostics Xingchen Wang,1 Yu Kimura,1,* Risako Miura,1 Hirohiko Imai,2 and Teruyuki Kondo1,3,* 1Department of Energy and Hydrocarbon Chemistry, Graduate School of Engineering, Kyoto University, Kyoto 615-8510, Japan 2Innovation Research Center for Quantum Medicine, Gifu University School of Medicine, Gifu 501-1113, Japan 3Lead contact *Correspondence: [ykimura@scl.kyoto-u.ac.jp](ykimura@scl.kyoto-u.ac.jp) (Y. K.), [teruyuki@scl.kyoto-u.ac.jp](teruyuki@scl.kyoto-u.ac.jp) (T. K.) [https://doi.org/10.1016/j.isci.2026.115010](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.isci.2026.115010) SUMMARY Recently, much attention has been focused on developing theranostic probes that could make it possible to achieve diagnosis and therapy at the same time. As for theranostics of cancers, cisplatin (cis‒diamminedichloro-platinum(II), CDDP) is a potent anticancer drug; however, cisplatin has some serious drawbacks, including poor water solubility as well as low lipophilicity. Here, we report the synthesis and in vivo evaluation of cisplatin-incorporating gelatin-coated gadolinium oxide (Gd2O3) nanoparticles, gelatin-CDDP-Gd2O3 NPs, which are a highly efficient theranostic probe for cancer treatment. The controlled release of CDDP from gelatin-CDDP-Gd2O3 NPs was realized by the enzymatic degradation of surface-gelatin of NPs with matrix metalloproteinases, MMP-2 and MMP-9, which are highly expressed in cancer cells. Then, gelatin-CDDPGd2O3 NPs served as a dual contrast agent for magnetic resonance and photoacoustic imaging to give important information on tumor regression under treatment. INTRODUCTION Cancer is a leading cause of mortality worldwide. Early detection of cancer and its treatment through chemotherapy and surgery are important for the complete recovery of patients.1 For traditional chemotherapy of cancer, cytotoxic anticancer drugs are generally used by interfering with essential cellular pathways of cancer cells. However, a major limitation is their lack of selectivity. Both cancer cells and healthy cells are damaged equally,2 leading to severe side effects such as gastrointestinal disorders,3 immunosuppression,4 and organ toxicity.5–7 To reduce these serious drawbacks of anticancer drugs, the development of a drug delivery system (DDS), in which the therapeutic efficacy of anticancer drugs is improved while maintaining their targeting specificity, enabling the release of anticancer drugs only at tumor sites, is important.8 Recently, much attention has been focused on the development of theranostic probes that enable diagnostic imaging and therapeutic intervention in a single platform, which should enhance disease characterization and promote real-time monitoring of the treatment results. It is also widely accepted that the use of personalized therapeutic strategies through theranostics can minimize side effects resulting from unnecessary exposure to ineffective therapy, whi

FAQs

What are gelatin-CDDP-Gd2O3 nanoparticles designed to achieve in cancer theranostics?

They are designed to deliver cisplatin while enabling both diagnosis and therapy through dual imaging. The platform integrates diagnostic contrast enhancement with cancer treatment efficacy.

How is cisplatin release controlled from gelatin-CDDP-Gd2O3 nanoparticles?

Cisplatin release is realized by enzymatic degradation of the surface gelatin. MMP-2 and MMP-9, which are highly expressed in cancer cells, drive the controlled release.

Which imaging modalities are supported and how is tumor visualization improved?

The nanoparticles serve as a dual contrast agent for magnetic resonance imaging and photoacoustic imaging. High-contrast enhancement provides important information regarding tumor regression during treatment.

Sep 22, 2026

Uploaded by Rowan