Multifunctional Nanotheranostics Research Articles

Biodegradable Cascade-Amplified Nanotheranostics for Photoacoustic-Guided Synergistic PTT/CDT/Starvation Antitumor in the NIR-II Window.

The development of nanoassemblies, activated by the tumor microenvironment, capable of generating photothermal therapy (PTT) and amplifying the "ROS (·OH) storm," is essential for precise and effective synergistic tumor treatment. Herein, an innovative cascade-amplified nanotheranostics based on biodegradable Pd-BSA-GOx nanocomposite for NIR-II photoacoustic imaging (PAI) guides self-enhanced NIR-II PTT/chemodynamic therapy (CDT)/starvation synergistic therapy. The Pd-BSA-GOx demonstrates the ability to selectively convert overexpressed H2O2 into strongly toxic ·OH by a Pd/Pd2+-mediated Fenton-like reaction at a lower pH level. Simultaneously, the GOx generates H2O2 and gluconic acid, effectively disrupting nutrient supply and instigating tumor starvation therapy. More importantly, the heightened levels of H2O2 and increased acidity greatly enhance the Fenton-like reactivity, generating a significant "·OH storm," thereby achieving Pd2+-mediated cascade-amplifying CDT. The specific PTT facilitated by undegraded Pd accelerates the Fenton-like reaction, establishing a positive feedback process for self-enhancing synergetic PTT/CDT/starvation therapy via the NIR-II guided-PAI. Therefore, the multifunctional nanotheranostics presents a simple and versatile strategy for the precision diagnosis and treatment of tumors.

Nanotheranostics: A powerful next-generation solution to tackle the chronic disease

The use of nanotheranostics is the most advanced diagnostic and therapeutic techniques for a variety of disorders like cancer, IDs, HIV has drawn significant interest in the last ten years. Currently, various methods are use in the development of bright nanotheranostics, which mix bioactive concentrating on particular tissues and diagnostic capabilities. By using nanotheranostics, keeping track the therapy responses in real-time and therapeutic drugs is delivered. As a result, there is less chance of consuming too much medication. Several non-intrusive Imaging methods have been applied to track the medication distribution processes quantitatively. Radiolabeling of nanoparticles is a popular and effective method of nuclear diagnostics imaging in medicine. Numerous nanoparticles really have been created and they have effective qualities, they were created for imaging tumors and other lesions because of their effective qualities. Multifunctional nanotheranostics have been described for inorganic nanoparticles like gold, silver, silica-based nanomaterials, or organic nanoparticles including polymers, carbon-based nanomaterials, and liposomes. A summary of the most recent nanotheranostics organized according to the utilized nanomaterials is provided. Finally, as material scientists who work in the field of nanotheranostics can use this review as a guide to create newer and more effective nanotheranostics, it can be advantageous to the medical and pharmaceutical communities as well as of society.

GSH‐Responsive Shape‐Transformable Nanotheranostics for Dual‐Modal T1/T2 MRI‐Guided Enhanced PDT of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma

AbstractBased on the properties of photodynamic therapy (PDT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), combining them to construct multifunctional nanotheranostics can leverage strengths and avoid weaknesses for tumor diagnosis and treatment. However, certain problems remain unsolved, notably the short observation window caused by insufficient retention time. In this study, a GSH‐responsive shape‐transformable nanotheranostics Gd‐Ce6‐FFVLGGGC‐SS‐PEG are designed (abbreviated as GdCFS) by combining a single metal Gd with Ce6, and peptide (Phe‐Phe‐Val‐Leu‐Gly‐Gly‐Gly‐Cys) disulfide‐conjugated with polyethylene glycol (PEG) to perform dual‐modal T1/T2 MRI specifically at the tumor site. Due to its amphiphilic features, GdCFS can self‐assemble to spherical nanoparticles, while transforming to nanofibers (NFs) in the presence of intracellular overexpressed GSH stimuli. After NFs formation, the hydrophobic core of GdCFS is exposed, resulting in T1 positive contrast enhancement, whereas NFs can simultaneously achieve T2 negative contrast enhancement. Furthermore, GSH depletion can cause imbalance in intracellular redox state, ultimately improving PDT efficacy. GdCFS benefits from the shape‐transformation in terms of sufficient retention time, thus positively minimizing the toxicity risk. On the tumor model of nasopharyngeal carcinoma, in vivo and in vitro outcomes confirm that GdCFS can be a promising candidate for early diagnosis, real‐time monitoring, and precise treatment of tumors with great biocompatibility.

Multifunctional Nanotheranostics for Overcoming the Blood–Brain Barrier

AbstractThe blood–brain barrier (BBB) is a tailored system of capillary endothelial cells intermixed with tight junctions and adherent junctions that regulates the transport of various materials and substances between the blood vasculature and the central nervous system (CNS). However, in cases of brain diseases, BBB's protective and regulatory effects hamper therapeutics from reaching affected sites in sufficient quantities. This has so far been a leading challenge in treating CNS diseases and disorders. For this problem to be overcome, recent research has sought to develop novel modalities to achieve efficient therapy and alleviate associated symptoms. Therefore, numerous strategies have operated in recent years to address the limitations of traditional and invasive methods, including poor brain penetration and serious side effects. As a desperately in‐demand technology, nanotheranostics has particularly shown promising results. Herein, this review reports recent advancements in CNS nanotheranostics and novel techniques and nanotechnology‐based strategies developed for treating neurodegenerative disorders. The study provides comprehensive data on the subject to be used for future studies for the therapy and management of CNS disorders and diseases.

Mild photothermal/radiation therapy potentiates ferroptosis effect for ablation of breast cancer via MRI/PA imaging guided all-in-one strategy

BackgroundNanotheranostics advances anticancer management by providing therapeutic and diagnostic functions, that combine programmed cell death (PCD) initiation and imaging-guided treatment, thus increasing the efficacy of tumor ablation and efficiently fighting against cancer. However, mild photothermal/radiation therapy with imaging-guided precise mediating PCD in solid tumors, involving processes related to apoptosis and ferroptosis, enhanced the effect of breast cancer inhibition is not fully understood.ResultsHerein, targeted peptide conjugated gold nano cages, iRGD-PEG/AuNCs@FePt NPs ternary metallic nanoparticles (Au@FePt NPs) were designed to achieve photoacoustic imaging (PAI)/Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) guided synergistic therapy. Tumor-targeting Au@FePt forms reactive oxygen species (ROS), initiated by X-ray-induced dynamic therapy (XDT) in collaboration with photothermal therapy (PTT), inducing ferroptosis-augmented apoptosis to realize effective antitumor therapeutics. The relatively high photothermal conversion ability of Au@FePt increases the temperature in the tumor region and hastens Fenton-like processes to achieve enhanced synergistic therapy. Especially, RNA sequencing found Au@FePt inducting the apoptosis pathway in the transcriptome profile.ConclusionAu@FePt combined XDT/PTT therapy activate apoptosis and ferroptosis related proteins in tumors to achieve breast cancer ablation in vitro and in vivo. PAI/MRI images demonstrated Au@FePt has real-time guidance for monitoring synergistic anti-cancer therapy effect. Therefore, we have provided a multifunctional nanotheranostics modality for tumor inhibition and cancer management with high efficacy and limited side effects.Graphical

Self-assembled multifunctional nanotheranostics against circulating tumor clusters in metastatic breast cancer.

Circulating tumor clusters (CTC) disseminating from the primary tumor are responsible for secondary tumor formation where the conventional treatments such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy does not prevent the metastasis at locally advanced stage of breast cancer. In this study, a smart nanotheranostic system has been developed to track and eliminate the CTCs before it can colonize at a new site, which would reduce metastatic progression and increase the five-year survival rate of the breast cancer patients. Targeted multiresponsive (magnetic hyperthermia and pH) nanomicelles incorporated with NIR fluorescent superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles were developed based on self-assembly for dual modal imaging and dual toxicity for spontaneous killing of CTCs in blood stream. A heterogenous tumor clusters model was developed to mimic the CTCs isolated from breast cancer patients. The nanotheranostic system was further evaluated for the targeting property, drug release kinetics, hyperthermia and cytotoxicity against developed CTC model invitro. Invivo model in BALB/c mice equivalent to stage III and IV human metastatic breast cancer was developed to evaluate the biodistribution and therapeutic efficacy of micellar nanotheranostic system. Reduced CTCs in blood stream and low distant organ metastasis after treatment with the nanotheranostic system demonstrates its potential to capture and kill the CTCs that minimize the secondary tumor formation at distant sites.

Modulation of two-dimensional palladium nanozyme activity to enhance chemodynamic/photothermal combined therapy for melanoma.

Nanozymes are artificial enzymes that mimic natural enzyme-like activities and exhibit tremendous potential for tumor chemodynamic therapy. However, the development of novel nanozymes with superior catalytic activities for nanotheranostics remains a formidable challenge. Herein, we report a facile synthesis of monodisperse palladium nanosheets (Pd nanosheets) and their assembly on graphene oxide (GO) that enhances the catalytic activities of Pd nanoparticles. Simultaneously, the obtained nanocomposites (rGO-Pd) could be applied as a smart near-infrared (NIR) light-responsive nanotheranostic for near infrared imaging-guided chemodynamic/photothermal combined therapy. Notably, rGO-Pd exhibited high peroxidase mimicking activities, which could catalyze the conversion of intratumoral H2O2 to ˙OH. Impressively, the reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation of rGO-Pd was further remarkably enhanced by the endogenous acidity of the tumor microenvironment and the exogenous NIR light-responsive photothermal effect. These collective properties of the rGO-Pd nanozyme enabled it to be a ROS generation accelerator for photothermally enhanced tumor chemodynamic therapy. Thus, the as-developed rGO-Pd may represent a promising new type of high-performance nanozyme for multifunctional nanotheranostics toward cancer.

NIR-II-Responsive CeO2-x@HA Nanotheranostics for Photoacoustic Imaging-Guided Sonodynamic-Enhanced Synergistic Phototherapy.

The therapeutic effect of photothermal therapy (PTT) and photodynamic therapy (PDT) is severely limited because of the shallow tissue penetration depth of the first near-infrared (NIR-I) light. Multifunctional nanotheranostics irradiated by the second near-infrared (NIR-II) light have received wide interest with respect to deeper tissue penetration, and sonodynamic therapy (SDT) synergistic phototherapy can achieve the complete elimination of tumors. Herein, we successfully constructed a single NIR-II light-induced nanotheranostic using cerium oxide (CeO2-x) with abundant oxygen vacancies for photoacoustic imaging-guided SDT-enhanced phototherapy for the first time. CeO2-x with surface crystalline disorder showed extensive NIR-II region absorption and an outstanding photothermal conversion ability. In addition, the CeO2-x layer with numerous oxygen defects can promote the separation of holes and electrons by ultrasound irradiation, which can remarkably enhance the efficacy of phototherapy to achieve high-efficiency tumor ablation. CeO2-x was surface modified with hyaluronic acid (HA) to prepare CeO2-x@HA to allow active tumor targeting efficiency. Both cell and animal experiments confirmed that all-in-one CeO2-x@HA exhibited a high therapeutic efficacy of SDT-enhanced PDT/PTT under 1064 nm laser irradiation, which achieved complete tumor eradication without systemic toxicity. This study significantly broadened the application of NIR-II-responsive CeO2-x for photoacoustic imaging-mediated SDT-enhanced phototherapy to the highly efficient and precise elimination of tumors.

Black Phosphorus Quantum Dots Encapsulated Biodegradable Hollow Mesoporous MnO2: Dual‐Modality Cancer Imaging and Synergistic Chemo‐Phototherapy

AbstractTo achieve an accurate diagnosis and efficient tumor treatment, developing a facile and powerful strategy to build multifunctional nanotheranostics is highly desirable. Benefiting from the distinct characteristics of black phosphorus quantum dots (BPQDs), herein, a versatile nanoprobe (H‐MnO2/DOX/BPQDs) is constructed for dual‐modality cancer imaging and synergistic chemo‐phototherapy. The hollow mesoporous MnO2 (H‐MnO2) nanoparticles are sequentially decorated with a cationic polymer poly (allylamine hydrochloride) (PAH) and an anionic polymer poly (acrylic acid) (PAA). The obtained H‐MnO2‐PAH‐PAA is covalently grafted with BPQDs‐PEG‐NH2 via a carbodiimide cross‐linking reaction and then loaded with anti‐cancer drug DOX to form final nanoprobe H‐MnO2/DOX/BPQDs. Under the tumor microenvironment, H‐MnO2/DOX/BPQDs is degraded to release encapsulated functional molecules DOX and BPQDs. DOX acts as the chemotherapy and fluorescence imaging agent, and BPQDs endows the nanoprobe with photodynamic therapy (PDT) and photothermal therapy (PTT) abilities under dual laser irradiation of 630 and 808 nm. H‐MnO2 offers contrasts for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and facilitates conversion of endogenous H2O2 to oxygen, thereby relieving tumor hypoxia and enhancing PDT efficacy. All in vitro and in vivo results demonstrate that the designed nanoprobe displays dual‐modality MRI/FL imaging and synergistic chemotherapy/PDT/PTT, which ultimately enhances the accuracy of cancer diagnosis and therapeutic performance.

Fabrication of cisplatin-loaded polydopamine nanoparticles via supramolecular self-assembly for photoacoustic imaging guided chemo-photothermal cancer therapy

Nanoscale drug delivery system (nDDS) mediated combinatorial therapy shows great promise in cancer treatment to circumvent the drawbacks of conventional monotherapy. In this study, we reported the development of a supramolecular self-assembly strategy to construct multifunctional nDDS. Cisplatin prodrug (Pt-CD) was successfully loaded onto polydopamine nanoparticles (PDA NPs) through the host-guest supramolecular self-assembly between β-cyclodextrins (β-CD) and adamantyl groups. Two cancer therapeutic modalities, photothermal therapy (PTT) and chemotherapy, were integrated into the as-designed nanoplatform (PDA-Pt NPs) to endow combinatorial anticancer capacity. The excellent photothermal performance and redox responsive cisplatin release behavior of PDA-Pt NPs was fully validated. Moreover, PDA-Pt NPs exhibited photoacoustic imaging capacity for real-time in vivo monitoring of the accumulation of the nanodrug in the tumor site and facilitated the imaging-guided PTT at the optimal treatment window. Ultimately, the combinatorial chemo-photothermal therapy mediated by PDA-Pt NPs exhibited very potent anticancer activity against osteosarcoma 143B cells in vitro and complete ablation of the subcutaneous tumor xenograft in vivo. In conclusion, this study represents an innovative and facile supramolecular self-assembly strategy for fabrication of multifunctional nanotheranostics for efficient combined anticancer therapy, which could further inspire the development of other combinatorial nanotherapeutics.

Polyamino acid calcified nanohybrids induce immunogenic cell death for augmented chemotherapy and chemo-photodynamic synergistic therapy.

Background: Monotherapy for cancer treatment is limited by unstable efficacy and uncontrollable toxic side effects, while the multifunctional nanoplatform with complex preparation process cannot avoid the potential toxicity of each functional component.Methods: We exploited tumor-specific activated polyamino acid calcified nanoparticles (CHC NPs) as new-type oxidative stress amplification of anticancer drugs via building a safe and biodegradable multifunctional nanoplatform. Giving priority to chemotherapy, and synergizing chemodynamic therapy (CDT) with photodynamic therapy (PDT), this strategy was to achieve enhanced chemotherapy, simultaneously inducing immunogenic cell death and inhibiting tumor cell invasion.Results: Based on amorphous calcium carbonate, pH-responsive nanocarrier was prepared with classical chemotherapeutic drug 10-hydroxycamplothecin (HCPT) and photosensitizer Chlorin e6 (Ce6) to realize multifunctional nanotheranostics.Conclusion: Inventive calcified nanohybrids, where topoisomerase inhibited by HCPT to prevent DNA synthesis, the generation of •OH induced via Fenton reaction, along with a large amount of 1O2 produced by Ce6, might be a promising strategy for anti-tumor combination therapy in clinical translation.

Self-assembly of hyaluronic acid-mediated tumor-targeting theranostic nanoparticles.

Theranostic nanoparticles (NPs) have emerged as promising candidates for cancer diagnosis and treatment. Manganese dioxide (MnO2)-based NPs are potential contrast agents with excellent paramagnetic property and biocompatibility, exhibiting satisfactory magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) effects and biological safety. Recently, hyaluronic acid (HA) has gained increasing interest due to its tumor-targeting ability, which can improve the tumor affinity of manganese dioxide (MnO2)-based NPs. In this study, HA-coated and albumin (BSA)-templated MnO2 and polydopamine hybrid nanoparticles (HMDNs) with tumor-targeting and superior imaging capability were fabricated via modifying the nanoparticles prepared by integrating dopamine polymerization and MnO2 biomineralization. The modification was found to enhance the cellular uptake of HMDNs by cancer cells. The prepared HMDN had high MRI contrasting capability with a longitudinal relaxivity of 22.2 mM-1 s-1 and strong photothermal therapy (PTT) effects with nearly complete tumor ablation under laser irradiation in vivo. HMDNs also showed effective clearance through kidneys, with no toxicity to important tissues. Therefore, HMDNs with superior imaging and PTT capability presented a new method to prepare tumor-targeting multifunctional nanotheranostics.

Tumor-Specific Activatable Nanocarriers with Gas-Generation and Signal Amplification Capabilities for Tumor Theranostics.

Multifunctional nanotheranostics are typically designed by integrating multiple functional components. This approach not only complicates the preparation process but also hinders any bioapplication due to the potential toxic effects when each component is metabolized. Here, we report a safe, biodegradable, and tumor-specific nanocarrier that, once activated by the acidic tumor microenvironment (TME), has diagnostic and therapeutic functions suitable for tumor theranostics. Our nanocarrier is composed of biomineralized manganese carbonate (BMC) nanoparticles (NPs) that readily decompose to release Mn2+ ions and CO2 gas in the acidic TME due to its intrinsic pH-dependent solubility. Mn2+ and CO2 release permits magnetic resonance and ultrasound imaging of tumors, respectively. These NPs can be loaded with the anticancer drug doxorubicin (DOX): BMC-DOX has high tumor inhibition effects both in vitro and in vivo due to combined Mn2+-mediated chemodynamic therapy and DOX-induced chemotherapy. This tumor-specific actuating nanocarrier might be a promising candidate for clinical translation.

Tumor Microenvironment-Responsive Fe(III)-Porphyrin Nanotheranostics for Tumor Imaging and Targeted Chemodynamic-Photodynamic Therapy.

The development of effective and safe tumor nanotheranostics remains a research imperative. Herein, tumor microenvironment (TME)-responsive Fe(III)-porphyrin (TCPP) coordination nanoparticles (FT@HA NPs) were prepared using a simple one-pot method followed by modification with hyaluronic acid (HA). FT@HA NPs specifically accumulated in CD44 receptor-overexpressed tumor tissues through the targeting property of HA and upon endocytosis by tumor cells. After cell internalization, intracellular acidic microenvironments and high levels of glutathione (GSH) triggered the rapid decomposition of FT@HA NPs to release free TCPP molecules and Fe(III) ions. The released Fe(III) ions could trigger GSH depletion and Fenton reaction, activating chemodynamic therapy (CDT). Meanwhile, the fluorescence and photodynamic effects of the TCPP could be also activated, achieving controlled reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and avoiding side effects on normal tissues. Moreover, the rapid consumption of GSH further enhanced the efficacy of CDT and photodynamic therapy (PDT). The in vivo experiments further demonstrated that the antitumor effect of these nanotheranostics was significantly enhanced and that their toxicity and side effects against normal tissues were effectively suppressed. The FT@HA NPs can be applied for activated tumor combination therapy under the guidance of dual-mode imaging including fluorescence imaging and magnetic resonance imaging, providing an effective strategy for the design and preparation of TME-responsive multifunctional nanotheranostics for precise tumor imaging and combination therapy.

Current applications and future prospects of innovative nanomedicine in biomedical field

With the development of nanotechnology and its wide application in biomedical field, nanomedicine has entered an unprecedented prosperous era. Owing to the unique physical and chemical properties, organic, inorganic and hybrid nanoparticle-based nanomaterials have a wide range of applications in disease diagnosis, treatment, biological imaging and other aspects. The development of nanomedicine has entered a new stage as well. Nanomedicine has developed from nanoparticle-based nanocarriers to multifunctional nanotheranostics with improved bioactivities through surface modification, structural design, and the development of biomimetic materials using endogenous nanovesicles. The new generation of innovative nano-drugs provides a new opportunity for the diagnosis and treatment of major diseases such as cancer.

Self-assembled multifunctional nanotheranostics loading GEM for targeted lung cancer therapy.

The aim of this study was to prepare a promising drug carrier for treatment of lung cancer. The self-assembly nanoparticles of SDP-GEM/PEI-PEG-anti-EGFR with chemotherapeutic drug of gemcitabine (GEM), Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) guided- imaging and targeting of anti- Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (anti-EGFR) were designed. The imaging capacity, targeting feasibility and anti-tumor function were evaluated respectively. SDP-GEM/PEI-PEG-anti-EGFR exhibited contrast enhancement under T2 Weight Image (T2WI) and a liner relationship was found between the concentration and relaxation rate of R2 and R2* in vitro. With the targeting of anti-EGFR, the endocytosis of nanoparticles increased significantly, which effectively killed lung cancer cells in vitro, and importantly it can be accurately delivered to tumor site within 3h in vivo. Prolonged lifetime and smaller tumor volume demonstrated that SDP-GEM/PEI-PEG-anti-EGFR efficiently inhibited tumor growth in vivo. Therefore, SDP-GEM/PEI-PEG-anti-EGFR was an effective and safe drug carrier, which had a great potential application in MRI-guided lung cancer therapy.

Self-Tracking Multifunctional Nanotheranostics for Sensitive miRNA Imaging Guided Photodynamic Therapy.

A theranostic system that enables monitoring the delivery process and amplified detection of low-abundance biomarkers is significant for bioimaging and biomedicine. We here develop a graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) nanosheet based self-tracking multifunctional nanotherapeutic system for sensitive miRNA guided photodynamic therapy in living cells. The g-C3N4 nanosheets are employed not only as a nanocarrier for an intracellular hybridization chain reaction for sensitive miRNA imaging but also as an excellent photosensitizer for tumor therapy. Moreover, the fluorescent g-C3N4 nanosheets allow assessing the transfection efficiency to mitigate the false negative signals. In vitro experiments showed that the proposed strategy had high signal amplification efficiency. The live cell studies revealed that the g-C3N4@H1/H2 could distinguish different miRNA expression levels from tumor to normal cells. The cell viability assay demonstrated the good photodynamic therapy efficiency of g-C3N4@H1/H2. Therefore, the developed self-tracking multifunctional nanotheranostics hold great potential for biomarker detection and imaging guided photodynamic therapy in living cells.

Single-step formulation of levodopa-based nanotheranostics - strategy for ultra-sensitive high longitudinal relaxivity MRI guided switchable therapeutics.

Nanotheranostics (combined diagnosis and therapy) is emerging as an integral part of future therapeutic strategies. However, the development and fabrication of a nanotheranostic module involves multistep processes and always faces formulation challenges. The complexity involved in its multi-step formulations hinders its reproducible industrial production and clinical translation. Therefore, a facile synthesis of multifunctional nanotheranostics is critical to its translational success. In this report, we have developed a one-pot facile strategy to prepare a MRI-visible photothermal theranostic switchable module (T-SWITCH). These nanoparticles are synthesized through polymerization of levodopa together with the reduction of KMnO4 in the presence of silk sericin for the formation of manganese dioxide particles within the T-SWITCH. The synthesized T-SWITCH showed a uniform size distribution of around 95.77 nm and high longitudinal relaxivity coefficient (r1) of up to 61.94 mM-1 s-1. The reported r1 of the T-SWITCH is exceedingly higher than that of any other previously reported manganese-based contrast agents with first-rate in vitro and in vivo contrast enhancement capability. The T-SWITCH can be activated to switch its therapeutic mode using near-infrared (NIR) light. It exhibited strong excitable absorption in the safer and biological NIR window between 650 and 900 nm. We have validated the significant anti-cancer therapeutic efficacy of T-SWITCH both in vitro and in vivo through switchable photothermal therapy.

"All-in-One" Theranostic Agent with Seven Functions Based on Bi-Doped Metal Chalcogenide Nanoflowers.

Most of the existing single-component nanostructures cannot provide comprehensive diagnostic information, and their treatment strategies always have to combine other therapeutics as a complementary for effective biomedical application. Here, we adopted a facile approach to design a theranostic nanoflower (NF) with robust efficacy for comprehensive tumor diagnosis and quadruple synergistic cancer therapy. The NF is equipped with a metallic hybrid of several functional elements and flower-like superstructures and thus shows excellent in vitro and in vivo theranostic performance. It shows high X-ray attenuation coefficiency for the Bi element, strong near-infrared (NIR) plasmon absorbance and singlet oxygen (1O2) generation ability for the Mo element, and great photothermal conversion efficiency (54.7%) because of enhanced photoabsorption of the petal structure. Moreover, the NF realizes a very high doxorubicin-loading efficiency (90.0%) and bimodal pH/NIR-responsive drug release, posing a promise as a controlled drug carrier. The NF also shows excellent performance at trimodal magnetic resonance/X-ray computed tomography/photoacoustic imaging for comprehensive tumor diagnosis. To our best knowledge, it is the first time that integrating at least seven functions into one biomedical nanomaterial for well-rounded tumor theranostics has been reported. This "all-in-one" NF opens a new perspective in developing novel and efficient multifunctional nanotheranostics.

Ultrafast turbulence-induced disintegration of BN and WS2 quantum dots for potential multifunctional nanotheranostics

To facilitate progression from the laboratory to commercial applications, it will be necessary to develop facile and scalable methods to produce high-quality quantum dots (QDs) of layered two-dimensional materials (LTMs). In this paper, we for the first time report a turbulence-induced disintegration method to prepare ultra-small BN and WS2 QDs, which can easily be achieved only using a household kitchen blender to directly disintegrate their bulk counterparts in liquids. The resulting ultra-small BN and WS2 QDs exhibit excellent photoluminescence and photo-thermal converting properties, respectively. As proof-of-concept applications, these properties have great promise in cell-imaging probes and photo-thermal therapy. This work not only provides successful paradigms for preparing the QDs of other LTMs but also demonstrates potential applications for the QDs.