Gold-Nanobipyramid-Based Nanotheranostics for Dual-Modality Imaging-Guided Phototherapy

Multimodality imaging-guided therapy can improve the diagnostics and therapeutics efficiency of cancer. Herein, we developed a light-responsive nanotheranostic agent based on the indocyanine green (ICG) conjugated mesoporous silica coated gold nanobipyramid (GNB@SiO₂) (denoted as GNB@SiO₂-ICG) for simultaneous fluorescence (FL)/photoacoustic (PA) imaging-guided photothermal therapy (PTT). The GNB@SiO₂ with excellent photostability was used for PA imaging as well as PTT. The loaded ICG promised FL imaging and PTT. The feasibility of the cancer theranostic capability of GNB@SiO₂-ICG was evaluated from cancer cells to mice. Under the guidance of FL/PA imaging, GNB@SiO₂-ICG exhibited remarkably enhanced therapeutic efficacy, which could eliminate the tumor tissues completely without tumor recurrence. This well-defined nanotheranostic nanoplatform that intelligently integrates dual-modality imaging and phototherapy provides an efficient nanoplatform for cancer nanotheranostics.