Fig. 6: BAQ ONNs have dual roles in the combination treatment.

a Establishment of the patient-derived pancreatic cancer stem cell (PCSC) model. b Histological analysis showing the high-level stroma of PCSC tumours; experiments were repeated three times independently. c Viability curves of PCSCs that were treated for 48 h and the IC₅₀ values; n = 3 independent experiments. d AO staining to show the LMP of PCSC that were treated for 12 h; experiments were repeated three times independently. e Immunoblotting analysis of autophagy proteins in PCSC that were treated as indicated (2.5 µM, 48 h); experiments were repeated three times independently. f Synergistic effect of BAQ13 NPs and napabucasin (48 h). g Tumour growth curves in subcutaneous PCSC xenograft model within the indicated treatments every 3 days; data are mean values ± SD; n = 10 tumours per group. h Images of tumours that harvested at end of treatment. i Mice body weight changes during the treatment; data are mean values ± SD; n = 5 mice per group. j Representative images of PCSC tumour sections; experiments were repeated three times independently. k In vivo and ex vivo fluorescence imaging of BAQ13 NPs co-loading with napabucasin and DiD in the PCSC model at 48 h post intravenous injection (10 mg kg⁻¹). l Quantitative fluorescence intensity of tissues in k, data are mean values ± SD; n = 3 mice per group. All statistical p values were calculated by the two-tailed Student’s t test. ns not significant; *p < 0.05; **p < 0.01; ****p < 0.0001.