Evaluation of PTX/Mo₂CTx-MXene@Fuc surface-engineered nanosheets in targeted combination therapy for triple-negative breast cancer

Aims: The study aimed to evaluate the multifunctional therapeutic potential of PTX/Mo(2)CTx-MXene@Fuc combinations, emphasizing their performance in drug loading, release kinetics, oxidative stress induction, apoptosis, cell migration, and angiogenesis inhibition in cancer therapy. Methods/materials: Mo(2)CTx-MXene@Fuc were synthesized and loaded with the chemotherapeutic drug Paclitaxel (PTX) to achieve pH- and NIR-responsive release. In vitro cytotoxicity, ROS generation, apoptosis, migration, and tube-formation assays were performed on cancer (4T1, MDA-MB-231) and normal (L929) cell lines under NIR (808 nm) irradiation. Results: The nanosheets exhibited high PTX loading efficiency (85-90%) and pH-sensitive drug release, with accelerated release in acidic tumor-mimicking environments. NIR irradiation significantly enhanced ROS production in cancer cells while maintaining low oxidative activity in normal cells. Apoptosis assays confirmed pronounced cell death under NIR+ conditions, while migration and tube-formation analyses revealed that MXene nanosheets moderately inhibited cell motility and suppressed endothelial angiogenesis. These results demonstrated synergistic enhancement of photothermal, photodynamic, and chemotherapeutic effects. Conclusion: The findings indicate that PTX/Mo(2)CTx-MXene@Fuc nanosheets function as a multifunctional nanoplatform combining chemo-, photothermal-, and photodynamic-therapy mechanisms. Their selective cytotoxicity, ROS-mediated apoptosis, and anti-angiogenic activity highlight their strong potential for future targeted cancer therapy applications.