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International Journal of Pharmaceutics: X logoLink to International Journal of Pharmaceutics: X
. 2026 Jun 6;11:100582. doi: 10.1016/j.ijpx.2026.100582

pH/NIR dual-responsive implantable patch for combined photothermal and chemotherapy of tumors

Wenjie Sun a,b,1, Xi Zhang a,1, Yili Zhao c,⁎⁎⁎, Bixiang Ye c, Wen Gao d, Guangyi Jiang d,⁎⁎⁎, Xin Li e,f,⁎, Xiaoji Lin a,b,⁎⁎
PMCID: PMC13262176  PMID: 42292306

Abstract

The treatment of malignant solid tumors still faces challenges including the high risk of surgical resection and the severe side effects of chemotherapy. Moreover, existing clinical strategies often fail to meet the treatment needs of patients with inoperable tumors. In this study, a safe and efficient nanofiber patch was designed via electrospinning for combined photothermal-chemotherapy of abdominal tumors. By loading copper sulfide nanoparticles and polydopamine, the patch achieved efficient photothermal effects under safe NIR II laser irradiation. Moreover, the patch exhibited pH/NIR dual-responsive drug release through polydopamine protonation and photothermally enhanced diffusion. With these superior properties, the implantable patch can non-invasively ablate solid tumors via photothermal therapy and eliminate residual cancer cells through controllable chemotherapy, while maintaining low systemic toxicity. Notably, this safe and effective therapeutic strategy exhibited significantly higher tumor apoptosis (68.6%) than the control of only chemotherapy patch (29.3%) or photothermal therapy patch (42.5%). The DPPCP patch + NIR group exhibited dramatically decreased signal intensity, demonstrating superior antitumor efficacy. Moreover, the DPPCP patch enabled 100% survival of nude mice over 90 days. In this work, the patch-mediated combined photothermal-chemotherapy strategy holds promise as an alternative to clinical surgical resection and postoperative chemotherapy, addressing the treatment needs of diverse cancer patients.

Keywords: Nanofiber patch, pH/NIR dual-responsiveness, Drug release, Photothermal therapy, Chemotherapy

Graphical abstract

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1. Introduction

Malignant solid tumors are one of the major diseases threatening human health. Surgical resection combined with chemotherapy remains the cornerstone of current clinical treatment (Xue et al., 1995; Peng et al., 2026; Li and Wu, 2026). However, for some patients with locally advanced solid tumors (e.g., head and neck tumors, pancreatic cancer, etc.), they lose the opportunity for radical surgery due to their anatomical location or infiltration degree. In addition, some cancer patients (e.g., ovarian cancer, breast cancer, laryngeal cancer, etc.) may be unwilling to undergo surgical treatment due to a strong desire to preserve bodily integrity (Olakowski and Grudzińska, 2023; Sampath and Charles, 2026). Therefore, developing an alternative to conventional surgery to meet the treatment needs of these patients is an urgent challenge (Li et al., 2024a; Wang et al., 2025a; Sandbhor et al., 2024; Fan et al., 2017).

Implantable treatment patches can attach to the tumor through implantation and deliver drugs directly to the lesion and reduce systemic toxicity, or deliver phototherapeutic agents to the lesion for non-invasive phototherapy. They have now become an important development direction in the field of tumor treatment (Talebian et al., 2018; Li et al., 2024b; Li et al., 2023). Their clinical feasibility has been verified by marketed products such as Gliadel® carboplatin sustained-release tablets, 5-fluorouracil cream, and ALA photodynamic patches. On this basis, researchers have further explored new patches based on hydrogels, electrospun fiber membranes, 3D printing scaffolds, etc., and attempted to integrate multiple modes such as chemotherapy, photothermal therapy (PTT), photodynamic therapy, and immunotherapy (Fan et al., 2017; Sathuvan et al., 2026; Li et al., 2025; Xu et al., 2025a; Li et al., 2026). Among them, electrospun fiber membranes are considered an ideal platform for constructing multifunctional combined treatment patches due to their advantages such as high drug loading capacity, flexible adhesion, and ease of surface modification (Wang et al., 2025b; Ge et al., 2024).

However, the efficient integration of chemotherapy and photothermal therapy into implantable fiber patches still faces two challenges: Firstly, traditional photothermal agents mostly respond to the near-infrared region I (NIR I, 700–900 nm), with tissue penetration of only about 1–3 mm, making it difficult to cover deeper lesions (Tang et al., 2025; Melancon et al., 2011; Li et al., 2017; Luo et al., 2026). The near-infrared region II (NIR II, 1000–1350 nm) can achieve centimeter-level penetration and the maximum allowable irradiation dose (MPE) at 1064 nm has been increased from 0.33 W/cm2 to 1.0 W/cm2 (ANSI Z136.1), but the conversion efficiency of a single photothermal agent is limited, and an above-threshold dose is often required to take effect (Charschan and Rockwell, 1999; Xu et al., 2024; Li et al., 2021). Secondly, the drug-loaded fibers mostly release drugs passively, with obvious burst release and difficulties in responding to the tumor microenvironment (Chu et al., 2022; Ge et al., 2023). Therefore, achieving deep and efficient photothermal conversion and tumor microenvironment-responsive drug release simultaneously in the same patch is the core issue that this field urgently needs to overcome.

In this study, we fabricated a multifunctional nanofiber patch loaded with Dox and modified with copper sulfide nanoparticles (CuS NPs) and polydopamine (PDA) through electrospinning technology (Fig. 1). The innovation lies in two aspects. Firstly, CuS NPs and PDA jointly construct a dual photothermal unit: CuS NPs have excellent photothermal absorption in the NIR II window, enabling effective heating in deep tissues (Zhang et al., 2020; Shen et al., 2023); the PDA coating can further enhance the photothermal effect and improve the biocompatibility of the materials. Secondly, PDA mediates pH/NIR dual-responsive drug release (Cai et al., 2024; Mahdian et al., 2023). The protonation of the PDA coating in the acidic tumor microenvironment accelerates the release of positively charged Dox through electrostatic repulsion, while the NIR II-induced photothermal effect further promotes drug release, ultimately achieving controllable photothermal-chemotherapy (Fu et al., 2018; Lu et al., 2024). We comprehensively investigated the physicochemical properties, NIR II photothermal performance, and pH/NIR dual-responsive drug release behavior of the patch. We also evaluated its in vivo efficacy and biological safety in an abdominal tumor-bearing mice model by directly attaching the patch to the surface of the tumor. Notably, this patch achieved a combination of non-invasive photothermal ablation and controllable chemotherapy with highly efficient tumor therapeutic effects, and it holds promise as an alternative to clinical surgical treatment and postoperative chemotherapy to meet the needs of patients with inoperable tumors.

Fig. 1.

Fig. 1

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Schematic diagram of the preparation of pH and NIR dual-responsive DPPCP patch for the combined photothermal-chemotherapy of abdominal tumors.

2. Materials and methods

2.1. Patch preparation

6.81 g of PVA (87–89%) powder was added to 44 mL of deionized water and magnetically stirred in a water bath at 80 °C for 5 h to prepare a 12 wt% PVA solution. Separately, 1.8 g of PGA powder was dissolved in 13.2 mL of deionized water to prepare a 12 wt% PGA solution. The two solutions were mixed at a PVA:PGA ratio of 9:1 and stirred uniformly. Dox (1 wt%) was then added, and the mixture was magnetically stirred overnight in the dark to prepare the electrospinning solution. Electrospinning was performed under the following parameters: voltage 18.6 kV, collector distance 25 cm, and feed rate 0.3 mL/h. After electrospinning, the fiber membrane was crosslinked in glutaraldehyde solution, washed, and vacuum-dried to obtain the Dox-PVA/PGA patch (DPP patch).

The DPP patch was then immersed in 50 mL of 0.5 mM CuCl₂ solution and stirred for 1 h. After the carboxyl groups on the fiber surface coordinated with copper ions, 0.05 mL of 0.5 M NaHS solution was added, and the mixture was stirred in a 90 °C water bath for 15 min. The fiber membrane was then removed, washed with deionized water to remove excess CuS NPs on the surface, and fully dried in an oven to obtain the Dox-PVA/PGA@CuS patch (DPPC patch).

To prepare the DPPCP patch, 8 mL of DA solution (50 mg/mL) was added to a mixed solution of water, ethanol, and NH4OH (72 mL, 32 mL, and 4 mL) and mixed thoroughly. 40 mg of DPPC patch was immersed in this solution and stirred for 24 h. The membrane was then removed, washed, and dried to obtain the Dox-PVA/PGA@CuS/PDA patch (DPPCP patch).

In addition, the electrospinning solution of PVA and PGA (9:1) without Dox was electrospun to obtain a PVA/PGA patch. Following the same procedures described above, CuS NPs and PDA were loaded to prepare the Dox-free PPCP patch.

2.2. Biocompatibility test in vitro

The patch was placed at the bottom of a six-well plate. Human gastric mucosal epithelial cells (GES-1) were seeded into the wells at 5× 106 cells per well, and cell changes were continuously monitored during culture. Gastric epithelial cells were chosen because they are also located in the abdominal cavity. They can simulate the intraperitoneal environment and are highly representative for histocompatibility assessment of anti-tumor materials applied in the abdominal cavity. After 36 h, the cells were digested using 0.25% trypsin-EDTA, collected by centrifugation, and stained with apoptosis flow cytometry dyes (PI and Annexin-FITC) for approximately 10 min before analysis.

2.3. Anticancer activity in vitro

The patch was placed at the bottom of a six-well plate. OVCAR4 cells were seeded into the wells at 5× 104 cells per well, and cell changes were continuously monitored during culture. Ovarian cancer cells were selected because ovarian cancer usually presents as extensive intra-abdominal metastasis, in which microlesions spread to abdominal organs and tightly adhere to important structures. Cell morphology was then observed under a high-magnification microscope. After 36 h, the cells were digested using 0.25% trypsin-EDTA, collected by centrifugation, and stained with apoptosis flow cytometry dyes (PI and Annexin-FITC) for approximately 10 min before analysis. In addition, after 36 h of culture, the cells were fixed with 2.5% glutaraldehyde, dehydrated through a graded ethanol series, air-dried, and then imaged using a Bio-SEM.

2.4. Tumor treatment of mice

OVCAR4 cells were harvested using 0.25% trypsin-EDTA (Gibco, USA) and washed twice with ice-cold PBS. The cell pellet was resuspended in 1× Annexin V binding buffer (BD Biosciences, USA) at a concentration of 1 × 106 cells/mL. Establishment of a nude mouse ovarian cancer model: Select the human ovarian cancer cell line OVCAR4, and stably transfect it with the luciferase reporter gene by transfecting with a lentivirus. A total of 109 OVCAR4 cells were injected into the center of the abdominal wall of each nude mouse, and after 2 weeks of growth, a nude mouse model bearing abdominal ovarian tumors was established. Twenty 4-week female nude mice with a weight of 40 g were purchased from Jiangsu Jicui Company. They were randomly divided into 4 groups (n = 5 per group). The mice were anesthetized with a sevoflurane inhalation anesthetic system. The abdominal wall of the nude mice was incised, the patch was implanted onto the tumor surface, and the abdomen was then sutured. The mice were placed in a cage to observe their condition. The 1064 nm laser (1 W/cm2) was applied to the abdomen of the mice in the experimental group for 5 min each time, once every 2 days. After continuous irradiation for 2 weeks, animals that died before treatment completion were excluded from analysis. Mice were euthanized when tumor volume exceeded 1500 mm3 or when severe distress was observed. The tumor growth status was observed using the IVIS fluorescence system. The result statistics of the animal experiment were performed in a blinded manner. All animal experiments were conducted with the approval of the Animal Ethics Committee of the Wenzhou Institute, University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (WIUCAS25080701).

2.5. In vivo bioluminescence imaging

In vivo bioluminescence imaging was performed using a PerkinElmer IVIS Spectrum in vivo imaging system (PerkinElmer, Inc., Waltham, MA, USA) to monitor tumor growth in abdominal ovarian tumor-bearing nude mice. Prior to imaging, mice were intraperitoneally injected with D-luciferin (150 mg/kg body weight, 15 mg/mL in PBS). After 10 min, mice were anesthetized with 2% sevoflurane in 100% oxygen at a flow rate of 1 L/min and placed in the imaging chamber. Bioluminescence signals were acquired with an exposure time of 1–5 min depending on signal intensity. Regions of interest (ROIs) were quantified as total photon flux (photons/s/cm2/sr) using Living Image® software (version 4.5, PerkinElmer).

2.6. Statistical analysis

Quantitative data were presented as mean ± SD from a minimum of three independent experiments. Data analyses were conducted using the GraphPad Prism 5.0 software. For variance analysis, One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) with Tukey's post hoc test was used. p values of <0.05 were considered significant. *p < 0.05, **p < 0.01, ***p < 0.001,****p < 0.0001.

3. Results and discussion

3.1. Synthesis of DPPCP patch

We synthesized a nanofiber patch as shown in Fig. 1. Firstly, Dox-loaded nanofiber patches were prepared via electrospinning. Subsequently, CuS NPs were loaded in situ onto the patches. Finally, PDA was polymerized in situ on the patch surface to achieve excellent biocompatibility. Next, a systematic characterization was immediately carried out to clarify that we had successfully produced the Dox-PVA/PGA@CuS/PDA patch (DPPCP patch). We characterized the morphology of the synthesized Dox-PVA/PGA patch (DPP patch), Dox-PVA/PGA@CuS patch (DPPC patch), and DPPCP patch using SEM images (Fig. 2a, b). It can be seen that the surface of the nanofibers in DPP patch was smooth and the diameter distribution was uniform (262.7 ± 50.7 nm). After loading CuS NPs and PDA, the surface roughness and diameter of nanofibers increased. The average diameters of the nanofibers in DPPC and DPPCP patches were about 394.4 ± 59.1 nm and 506.3 ± 66.1 nm, respectively. From the infrared spectrum (Fig. S1), a large and broad peak at 3500–3200 cm−1 corresponded to the stretching vibrations of -OH and N—H, which was due to the abundant -OH in PVA and the presence of N—H in the PGA chains. The characteristic peak at 1725 cm−1 belonged to the stretching vibration of C Created by potrace 1.16, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2019 O. The characteristic peaks at 1250 cm−1 and 1110 cm−1 corresponded to the stretching vibration of C—O. The characteristic peak at 1377 cm−1 belonged to the deformation vibration of C—H, and the characteristic peaks at 1250–1140 cm−1 and 3000–2843 cm−1 corresponded to the stretching vibration of C—C and C—H. All these confirmed the abundant presence of PVA and PGA in the patch. After loading PDA, new characteristic peaks appeared at 1597 cm−1 and 1506 cm−1 in the infrared spectrum of the patch, which belonged to the indole and dihydroindole produced during the polymerization to form PDA (Dreyer et al., 2012). Compared with DPP patch, the characteristic peak at 3500–3200 cm−1 in DPPCP patch had a larger range and higher peak value. This is because PDA contained a large amount of -OH and N—H, thus proving the presence of PDA loading on the patch. The thermogravimetric experiment indicated that the weight loss ratio of the patch after loading CuS NPs and PDA had decreased (Fig. 2c). The experimental results are consistent with the fact that CuS NPs and PDA are less prone to oxidation. At the same time, the thermogravimetric experiment also indicated that DPPCP patch exhibited excellent thermal stability. After the DPP patch was heated to 800 °C, the final remaining weight of the patch was 10.1% of the initial total weight. For DPPC and DPPCP patches, the final remaining weight of the patch accounted for 12.4% and 24.5%, respectively. Therefore, based on the results of the thermogravimetric experiment, the DPPCP patch contained 2.5% CuS NPs and 32% PDA (Shanmuganathan et al., 2011). The calculation process of PDA content can be found in the supporting information (Fig. S2). The EDS spectral analysis also confirmed the successful loading of CuS NPs and the weight percentage of CuS NPs in DPPC patch was approximately 2.6% (Fig. S3). This value is relatively close to the weight percentage of CuS NPs obtained from thermogravimetric analysis. All the data indicated that CuS NPs and PDA have been successfully loaded onto the patch. As shown in Fig. 2e, the synthesized DPPCP patch appeared black with a diameter of 1.9 mm and thickness of 0.03 mm (Fig. S4). UV–vis spectroscopy indicated that the DPPCP patch exhibited strong absorption in both the NIR I and NIR II regions (Fig. 2d), suggesting excellent photothermal performance. Notably, compared with NIR I, NIR II laser offers two significant advantages: 1) the maximum permissible exposure (MPE) of NIR II laser can reach 1 W/cm2, whereas that of NIR I is only 0.6 W/cm2; 2) NIR II laser possesses deeper tissue penetration, making them suitable for the treatment of deep-seated tumors (Ku et al., 2012; Xu et al., 2025b).

Fig. 2.

Fig. 2

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(a) SEM images and (b) corresponding diameter distribution of DPP, DPPC, and DPPCP patches. (c) Thermogravimetric analysis of DPP, DPPC, and DPPCP patches. (d) UV–vis spectra of PVA/PGA and DPPCP patches. (e) Digital photo of DPPCP patch.

3.2. Photothermal properties and stimuli-responsive drug release

To verify that the patches synthesized have pH and NIR dual-responsive properties, we evaluated the photothermal performance and stimuli-responsive behavior. As shown in Fig. 3a, we investigated the photothermal performance of the patch under a safe power of NIR II laser irradiation. After 5 min of NIR II laser exposure, the temperature of the DPPCP patch increased from 32.5 °C to 53.0 °C. In contrast, the photothermal property of DPPC patch was relatively moderate, with its temperature reaching 43.0 °C. The DPP patch had the slowest heating rate, with the final temperature only reaching 33.0 °C. Just as we expected, DPPCP patch had the best photothermal performance. The combined effect of CuS and PDA enhanced the photothermal performance of the patch. The photothermal behavior of DPPCP patch was further investigated using laser irradiation at varying power levels (Fig. 3b). The result indicated that the patch exhibited efficient photothermal conversion even under the MPE of 1 W/cm2. A monotonic increase in temperature was observed with increasing laser power. Fig. 3c showed that DPPCP patch exhibited excellent photothermal stability and maintained good photothermal performance even after 5 cycles of heating and cooling.

Fig. 3.

Fig. 3

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(a) Temperature changes over time of the DPP, DPPC, and DPPCP patches under 1064 nm laser irradiation (1.0 W/cm2). (b) Temperature changes over time of the DPPCP patch under 1064 nm laser irradiation with different powers. (c) Photothermal stability curve of the DPPCP patch. (d) Comparison chart of the drug release curves of the DPPCP patch after being irradiated by 1064 nm laser in different pH environments (n = 3).

Stimuli-responsive nanocarriers exploit different physiological microenvironments between tumor tissues and normal organs to achieve selective drug release. We studied the pH and NIR dual-responsive drug release behavior of DPPCP patch. As shown in Fig. 3d, compared with pH 7.4, the patch released more Dox in pH 5.4. This is due to the protonation of PDA in the acidic microenvironment, which generates electrostatic repulsion with the positively charged Dox, thereby promoting drug release (Fu et al., 2018). Furthermore, upon 1064 nm laser irradiation, the patch exhibited even higher drug release, as the photothermal effect of the patch accelerates drug diffusion. These results indicated that the designed DPPCP patch possessed pH and NIR dual-responsiveness, enabling controlled drug release.

3.3. Biosafety assessment

Good biocompatibility is a crucial prerequisite for the application of therapeutic materials in biological settings. Therefore, we systematically evaluated the potential toxicity of the patches. A small amount of cell apoptosis was observed in the control group, which is attributed to natural cell turnover (Figs. 4a and S5). In addition, compared with the group of PVA/PGA@CuS patch (PPC patch), the apoptosis rate of cells in the PPCP patch group was reduced, indicating that PDA modification improves the biocompatibility of the patch. The patch was further implanted into the abdomen of mice to observe whether it would induce aseptic inflammation, thereby evaluating its in vivo biocompatibility. H&E-stained histological analysis showed that, compared with the PPC patch, the infiltration of inflammatory cells in the PPCP patch group was markedly decreased (Fig. 4b). This may be because polydopamine possesses a chemical structure highly like natural melanin with low immunogenicity. It has abundant catechol, amino and hydroxyl groups, which can improve surface hydrophilicity and reduce nonspecific protein adsorption and inflammatory response. Many PDA functionalized nanoparticles exhibited enhanced biocompatibility (Liu et al., 2020; Feng et al., 2024; Hong et al., 2011). Collectively, these results demonstrated that the PPCP patch possessed good biocompatibility, supporting its potential for biomedical applications.

Fig. 4.

Fig. 4

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(a) Flow cytometry pattern of human gastric mucosal epithelial cells (GES-1) co-cultured with control, PPC and DPPCP patches. (b) H&E staining of the peritoneal tissues treated with control, PPC and PPCP patches.

3.4. Antitumor activity in vitro

Due to its unique advantages, the combination of efficient photothermal therapy and controllable chemotherapy is an effective strategy for suppressing cancer cell growth. The anticancer effect of the DPPCP patch was evaluated under safe NIR II laser irradiation (1064 nm, 1 W/cm2, 5 min). As shown in Fig. 5a and b, in the DPP patch group and the PPCP patch + NIR group, the apoptosis rates of cancer cells were 29.3% and 42.5%, respectively, indicating that either chemotherapy or photothermal therapy alone exhibited anticancer activity. Notably, in the DPPCP patch + NIR group, the apoptosis rate of cancer cells was significantly increased (about 68.6%), demonstrating that the combined photothermal-chemotherapy achieved the optimal anticancer effect. Under Bio-SEM images (Fig. 5c), we observed that compared with the DPP patch group and the PPCP patch + NIR group, more cells in the DPPCP patch + NIR group were in an apoptotic state (shrinkage, detachment, and degeneration). These results indicated that our developed DPPCP patch can significantly enhance anticancer efficacy under NIR II irradiation at a safe power through combined photothermal-chemotherapy.

Fig. 5.

Fig. 5

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(a) Flow cytometry of tumor cells and (b) corresponding apoptosis rate after treated with different groups (n = 3). (c) Bio-SEM images of the tumor cells after treated with different groups.

3.5. Antitumor activity in vivo

Next, we investigated the anti-tumor effect of implantable patches combined with photothermal-chemotherapy in vivo. Implantable patches can meet the treatment needs of unresectable tumors and also enhance the treatment effect and reduce toxic side effects by directly adhering to the tumor. In addition, the safety of the laser used in photothermal therapy must be taken into account in clinical practice. Therefore, we selected the safe laser parameters (1064 nm, 1 W/cm2, 5 min) for in vivo experiments. To demonstrate the excellent tissue penetration ability of 1064 nm laser, we constructed an abdominal tumor model in female nude mice as a deep tumor model. These nude mice were randomly divided into four groups (5 mice in each group): (1) PBS, (2) PPCP patch + NIR, (3) DPPCP patch, and (4) DPPCP patch + NIR. The treatment timeline of nude mice with abdominal tumor is shown in Fig. 6a. After 15 days of treatment, the size of the tumor was monitored by an IVIS detection system (Fig. 6b, c). Compared with the PBS group, the signal intensity at the tumor site in the PPCP patch + NIR group was all reduced, indicating that the patch could achieve effective treatment of deep abdominal tumor under safe NIR laser irradiation. Additionally, the signal intensity in the DPPC group was also reduced, suggesting that chemotherapy alone can inhibit tumor growth to a certain extent. Notably, the DPPCP patch + NIR group exhibited the weakest signal intensity, demonstrating that the combined photothermal-chemotherapy achieved the optimal antitumor efficacy. This may be attributed to the fact that photothermal therapy promotes drug penetration and uptake in tumors by enhancing blood flow and cell membrane permeability, while chemotherapy also sensitizes the photothermal therapeutic effect (Chen et al., 2017; Luo et al., 2017).

Fig. 6.

Fig. 6

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(a) Schematic illustration and timeline of the implantable patch for combined photothermal-chemotherapy under safe NIR II laser irradiation. (b) Representative IVIS bioluminescence images of mice in each group at day 1 and day 15 (color scale: Min = 2.0 × 106, Max = 3.6 × 107 p/s/cm2/sr). (c) Quantitative analysis of total photon flux in different groups. (n = 5) (d) Survival curves of nude mice over time in different groups.

Furthermore, the ultimate goal of all treatments is to improve survival rates. We monitored the survival rates of nude mice in different groups within 120 days (Fig. 6d). All nude mice in the PBS group died by day 60. The nude mice in the PPCP patch + NIR group and DPPCP patch group died by day 70 and day 100, respectively. Notably, the DPPCP patch + NIR group achieved a 100% survival rate at day 90. These results indicate that compared with photothermal therapy or chemotherapy alone, the implantable patch-mediated combined photothermal-chemotherapy possesses superior antitumor efficacy and can effectively prolong the survival of nude mice.

4. Conclusions

In summary, this study designed a pH/NIR dual-responsive nanofiber patch to achieve safe and efficient treatment of abdominal tumors. The patch demonstrates efficient photothermal performance under safe NIR II laser irradiation and exhibits pH/NIR dual-responsive drug release. The implantable patch enables non-invasive photothermal therapy, avoiding the risks associated with surgical resection, while local controllable drug release enhances chemotherapy efficacy and reduces systemic toxicity. In addition, efficient photothermal therapy not only ablates tumors but also enhances drug release and penetration, thereby achieving superior antitumor efficacy. Both in vitro and in vivo experiments show that the patch possesses excellent antitumor activity and significantly prolongs the survival of mice. The smart patch and combined photothermal-chemotherapy developed hold great potential as an alternative to clinical surgical resection and postoperative chemotherapy, thereby addressing the treatment needs of patients with inoperable tumors.

CRediT authorship contribution statement

Wenjie Sun: Writing – original draft, Investigation, Formal analysis, Data curation. Xi Zhang: Writing – original draft, Investigation, Formal analysis, Data curation. Yili Zhao: Writing – review & editing, Supervision, Conceptualization. Bixiang Ye: Formal analysis, Data curation. Wen Gao: Investigation. Guangyi Jiang: Writing – review & editing, Supervision, Conceptualization. Xin Li: Writing – review & editing, Supervision, Project administration, Funding acquisition, Conceptualization. Xiaoji Lin: Writing – review & editing, Supervision, Project administration, Funding acquisition, Conceptualization.

Declaration of competing interest

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Acknowledgments

We are grateful for the financial support from the Wenzhou Science & Technology Bureau (No. Y20240118/GY20250229), NSFC Excellent Young Scientists Fund Program (overseas), Natural Science Foundation of Zhejiang Province (No. LMS26H220002), and RGC Junior Research Fellow Scheme (JFRS2526-4S03).

Footnotes

Appendix A

Supplementary data to this article can be found online at https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijpx.2026.100582.

Contributor Information

Yili Zhao, Email: yzhao@zstu.edu.cn.

Guangyi Jiang, Email: jianggy@zjcc.org.cn.

Xin Li, Email: xinli435@cityu.edu.hk.

Xiaoji Lin, Email: linxiaoji321@163.com.

Appendix A. Supplementary data

Supplementary material

mmc1.docx (394.6KB, docx)

Data availability

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

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Associated Data

This section collects any data citations, data availability statements, or supplementary materials included in this article.

Supplementary Materials

Supplementary material

mmc1.docx (394.6KB, docx)

Data Availability Statement

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

Articles from International Journal of Pharmaceutics: X are provided here courtesy of Elsevier

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