Bismuth Sulfide Nanodots Embedded Hydrogel as Theranostic Platform for CT Imaging and Photothermal/Antiangiogenic Therapy

Injectable hydrogel embedded with ultra-small bismuth sulfide (Bi2S3) nanodots (~ 2 nm) is prepared through a one-pot synthesis method that uses anionic polysaccharide gellan gum (GG) as a stabilizer. The as-prepared Bi 2S3 @GG hydrogel displays excellent capability for both photothermal therapy (PTT) (the photothermal conversion efficiency of 44.3%) and X-ray computed tomography (the X-ray absorption coefficient of 51.5 HU L·g -1 ), integrating with real-time monitoring and therapeutic functions. After incorporation with sorafenib (SF), the hydrogel shows a sustained release of SF over 15 days. The mice receiving the combined treatments of photothermal-chemotherapy show a tumor suppression rate of 98.2% by 22 days after the treatment. In contrast, tumor growth and recurrence are observed in the single treatment. Our work presents a new strategy to construct a theranostic hydrogel platform for a safe and precise antitumor therapy.