Executive Summary : | This proposal aims to develop a molecularly engineered free-standing borophene as a versatile nanotheranostic platform to combat localized cancers. Cancer is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in both developed and developing countries, with nearly 1.3 million new cancer cases reported in India in 2020. Localized tumors, such as brain glioma, head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), liver, and prostate, are often treated with radiation and chemotherapies, but these methods have limitations such as lack of molecular specificity, poor circulation half-lives, systemic toxicity, and multidrug resistance problems. Nanotechnology-based theranostics, such as targeted therapies, photodynamic therapy, photothermal therapy, and combinatorial therapies, can improve treatment efficacies. The borophene-based nanotheranostic platform will be loaded with J-aggregates of indocyanine green (ICG) induced by a chemotherapeutic drug, cisplatin (CDDP), and modified using polydopamine (PDA), a biocompatible polymer. Anti EGFR moieties will be functionalized to achieve molecular specificity towards epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) overexpressed in HNSCC. Upon near infrared (NIR) light irradiation, the borophene-based nanotheranostic platform can mediate multimodal imaging and therapeutic functions, providing a favorable option for non-invasive treatment using NIR light. The proposed nanotheranostic platform is expected to be patentable and commercially feasible, with immediate application in the biomedical and healthcare domains. |