Design of new nanoagents that intrinsically have both diagnostic imaging and therapeutic capabilities is highly desirable for personalized medicine. In this work, a novel nanotheranostic agent is fabricated based on polydopamine (PDA)-functionalized Co-P nanocomposites (Co-P@PDA) for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-guided combined photothermal therapy and chemotherapy. The ultrahigh relaxivity of 224.61 mm-1 s-1 can enable Co-P@PDA to be applied as an excellent contrast agent for MRI in vitro and in vivo, providing essential and comprehensive information for tumor clinical diagnosis. Moreover, Co-P@PDA exhibit excellent photothermal performance owing to the strong near-infrared (NIR) absorbance of both Co-P nanocomposite and PDA. Highly effective ablation of tumors is achieved in a murine tumor model because the NIR laser not only induces photothermal effects but also triggers the chemotherapeutic drug on-demand release, which endows the Co-P@PDA with high curative effects but little toxicity and few side effects. These findings demonstrate that Co-P@PDA are promising agents for highly effective and precise antitumor treatment and warrant exploration as novel theranostic nanoagents with good potential for future clinical translation.
Keywords: NIR triggered drug release; magnetic resonance imaging; photothermal therapy; synergistic effect; ultrahigh relaxivity.
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