Cancer has become one of the major threats to the health of human beings for centuries though great efforts have been made. Theranostics which integrate cancer diagnosis and cancer therapy have become a trend in cancer therapy.
Among the diverse diagnostic imaging techniques, X-ray computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), positron emission tomography (PET), and fluorescence optical imaging (FOI) are widely used. MRI possesses harmlessness, high-resolution image together with excellent soft tissue contrast between normal tissues and lesion. Among the applications of FOI, the introduction of long wavelength NIR light (700–1000 nm), which is within the transmission window of biological tissues, can improve imaging resolution and obtain a deeper penetration.
Current therapy schemes such as surgery, chemotherapies, radiotherapies, and some other therapeutics all have their intrinsic limits individually. For example, the anticancer drugs used in chemotherapies have issues concerned with severe side effects while surgery in many occasions is not able to completely remove all cancer cells. Photothermal therapy (PTT) as a noninvasive and efficient treatment method with NIR laser-induced thermal ablation of cancer cells has attracted much interests for tumor therapy. Previous works have demonstrated that the combination of PTT and chemotherapy can significantly improve the synergistic therapeutic efficacy compared to those sole treatments.
Recently, Prof. CHEN Qianwang from Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale & High Magnetic Field Laboratory, CAS and University of Science and Technology of China together with Prof. GUO Zhen from School of Life Sciences at University of Science and Technology of China and Prof. Wang Haibao from Radiology Department of the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University have synthesized a versatile Mn3[Co(CN)6]2@SiO2@Ag nanocube for theranostic platform which integrates T1-T2 dual-modal MRI imaging, all color single-photon (403-, 488-, 543-) imaging and two-photon (730 nm) imaging (TPFI). After loading of Ag nanoparticles, the TPFI ability demonstrated a 1.85-fold enhancement. Upon NIR-irradiation, the DOX-loaded system demonstrates synergistic cancer therapy effects compared to individual treatments.
This work entitled “Novel Mn3[Co(CN)6]2@SiO2@Ag Core–Shell Nanocube: Enhanced Two-Photon Fluorescence and Magnetic Resonance Dual-Modal Imaging-Guided Photothermal and Chemo-therapy” has been published on Small (2015, 11, 5956–5967).
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Schematic illustration of (a) the preparation ofMn3[Co(CN)6]2@SiO2@Agand (b) the delivery process of these Dox-loadedMn3[Co(CN)6]2@SiO2@Agto A549 cells for enhanced fluorescence imaging, combination of photothermal therapy and chemotherapy |
