Prussian Blue Modified PLA Microcapsules Containing R6G for Ultrasonic/Fluorescent Bimodal Imaging Guided...

A theranostic agent has been successfully constructed for fluorescence/ultrasound dual-modal imaging guided photothermal therapy by loading the fluorescent dye R6G into polylactide microcapsules (PLA MCs) followed by deposition of Prussian blue nanoparticles (PB NPs) into the surface of PLA MCs. It was proved that the obtained microcapsules of R6G@PLA/PB MCs could serve as an efficient probe to simultaneously enhance fluorescence imaging and ultrasound imaging greatly in vivo. R6G@PLA/PB MCs exhibited significant photothermal cytotoxicity. Cancer cells could be killed efficiently through photothermal effects of R6G@PLA/PB MCs due to the strong absorption of PB NPs in the near infrared region under laser irradiation. In a word, R6G@PLA/PB MCs integrate multiple capabilities for effective tumor imaging and therapy. Such a single agent provides us a possibility to interpret accurately the obtained images, identify the size and location of the tumor, as well as guide and monitor the photothermal therapy.