Ultrasmall Magnetic CuFeSe2 Ternary Nanocrystals for Multimodal Imaging Guided Photothermal Therapy of Cancer

A mesoporous polydopamine nanoparticle enables highly efficient manganese encapsulation for enhanced MRI-guided photothermal therapy

Theranostic agents based on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and photothermal therapy (PTT) play an important role in tumor therapy. However, the available theranostic agents are facing great challenges such as biocompatibility, MRI contrast effect and photothermal conversion efficiency (η). In this work, mesoporous polydopamine nanoparticles (MPDAPs/Mn) were prepared on MRI and PTT combined theranostic nanoplatforms, of which the high loading manganese ions and specific surface areas enable good MRI contrast and excellent photothermal conversion efficiency, respectively. The MPDAPs/Mn have uniform morphology, good stability and biocompatibility. Meanwhile, in vitro and in vivo studies have confirmed their superior T₁-weighted MRI effect and photothermal conversion efficiency. Furthermore, MPDAPs/Mn have excellent antitumor efficacy in HeLa tumor-bearing mice. Therefore, this developed MPDAPs/Mn theranostic nanoplatform could be a promising candidate for MRI-guided photothermal cancer therapy.

Synthesis, modification and bioapplications of nanoscale copper chalcogenides

Copper chalcogenides have a simple general formula, variable atomic ratios, and complicated crystal structures, which lead to their wealth of optical, electrical, and magnetic properties with great potential for wide applications ranging from energy conversion to the biomedical field. Herein, we summarize the recent advances in (1) the synthesis of size- and morphology tunable nanostructures by different methods; (2) surface modification and functionalization for different purposes; and (3) bioapplications for diagnosis and treatment of tumors by different imaging and therapy methods, as well as antibacterial applications. We also briefly discuss the future directions and challenges of copper chalcogenide nanoparticles in the biomedical field.

Gadolinium-chelate functionalized magnetic CuFeSe2 ternary nanocrystals for T1-T2 dual MRI and CT imaging in vitro and in vivo

CuFeSe2 nanomaterial with high thermal conversion efficiency, well superparamagnetism, effective x-ray attenuation ability, multifunctional groups and excellent biocompatibility is beneficial to the construction of multimodal imaging probes which can combine various imaging modes to provide a synergistic advantage over a single imaging mode. This study aimed to develop a novel multimodal nanocontrast agent CuFeSe2@diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA)-Gd to obtain imaging information with high specificity, high sensitivity and high contrast. The morphology and physical characteristics of CuFeSe2@DTPA-Gd were detected by transmission electron microscope, scanning electron microscope, x-ray single crystal diffraction, vibrating sample magnetometer and fourier transform infrared spectrometer. The toxicity of CuFeSe2@DTPA-Gd in vivo was evaluated by hematoxylin-eosin staining. The imaging capability of CuFeSe2@DTPA-Gd in vitro and in vivo was evaluated by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT). This study successfully prepared nanoparticles CuFeSe2@DTPA-Gd, and experimental results in this study demonstrated CuFeSe2@DTPA-Gd is expected to be a useful CT and MRI T1-weighted imaging/T2-weighted imaging three-modal contrast agent in clinic.

Bi19S27I3 nanorods: a new candidate for photothermal therapy in the first and second biological near-infrared windows

Near-infrared (NIR) light-induced photothermal cancer therapy using nanomaterials as photothermal agents has attracted considerable research interest over the past few years. As the key factor in photothermal therapy systems, a variety of photothermal agents have been developed. However, the exploration of novel photothermal therapy nanoplatforms with high NIR absorption remains a significant challenge, especially those working in both NIR-I and NIR-II windows. In this work, Bi19S27I3 nanorods with remarkably high absorption covering the whole visible light to the entire NIR-I and NIR-II regions have been successfully prepared through a facile solvothermal approach. The as-synthesized Bi19S27I3 nanorods have a high photothermal conversion efficiency of 42.7% at 808 nm (NIR-I) and 41.5% at 1064 nm (NIR-II), making them a promising candidate for photothermal therapy. In vitro cell viability assay reveals that the Bi19S27I3 sample has good biocompatibility and exhibits significant cell-killing effect under NIR irradiation. In vivo anti-tumor experiments demonstrate that the tumor growth can be effectively inhibited by fatal hyperthermia ablation mediated by Bi19S27I3 nanorods under the irradiation of an 808 nm or 1064 nm laser. Therefore, this study should be primarily beneficial for the development of new materials for NIR photothermal therapy applications.

Synthesis of one-for-all type Cu5FeS4 nanocrystals with improved near infrared photothermal and Fenton effects for simultaneous imaging and therapy of tumor

CuS materials exhibit excellent near infrared (NIR) photoabsorption and photothermal effect, but they are lack of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) ability. Fe-based nanomaterials possess MRI capacity, but they usually exhibit poor NIR photoabsorption. In order to solve the above problems, we synthesize three kinds of Cu_xFe_yS_z samples, including FeS₂, CuFeS₂ and Cu₅FeS₄ nanomaterials. With the Cu/Fe ratios increase from 0/1.0 to 1.0/1.0 and 5.0/1.0, the localized surface plasmon resonances (LSPRs) characteristic peaks shift to longer wavelength, and the photothermal transduction efficiencies go up from 24.4% to 36.6% and 45.9%. Thus, Cu₅FeS₄ is found to be the most excellent sample. Especially, Cu₅FeS₄ exhibits photothermal-enhanced Fenton effect, which can produce hydroxyl radical (·OH) under a wide pH range (e.g., pH = 5.4-7.4) to realize the chemodynamic effect. In addition, Cu₅FeS₄ can be employed as an efficient MRI contrast agent. When Cu₅FeS₄ dispersion is intravenously injected into the mouse, the tumor can be detected by MRI as well as thermal imaging, and eliminated through photothermal-enhanced chemodynamic effect. Therefore, Cu₅FeS₄ can be used as an efficient "one-for-all" type agent for MRI-guided photothermal-enhanced chemodynamic therapy of tumor.

Recent Advances in Hyperthermia Therapy-Based Synergistic Immunotherapy

The past decades have witnessed hyperthermia therapy (HTT) as an emerging strategy against malignant tumors. Nanomaterial-based photothermal therapy (PTT) and magnetic hyperthermia (MHT), as highly effective and noninvasive treatment models, offer advantages over other strategies in the treatment of different types of tumors. However, both PTT and MHT cannot completely cure cancer due to recurrence and distal metastasis. In recent years, cancer immunotherapy has attracted widespread attention owing to its capability to activate the body's own natural defense to identify, attack, and eradicate cancer cells. Significant efforts have been devoted to studying the activated immune responses caused by hyperthermia-ablated tumors. In this article, the synergistic mechanism of HTT in immunotherapy, including immunogenic cell death and reversal of the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment is discussed. The reports of the combination of HTT or HTT-based multimodal therapy with immunotherapy, including immunoadjuvant exploitation, immune checkpoint blockade therapy, and adoptive cellular immunotherapy are summarized. As highlighted, these strategies could achieve synergistically enhanced therapeutic outcomes against both primary tumors and metastatic lesions, prevent cancer recurrence, and prolong the survival period. Finally, current challenges and prospective developments in HTT-synergized immunotherapy are also reviewed.

CuFeSe2-based thermo-responsive multifunctional nanomaterial initiated by a single NIR light for hypoxic cancer therapy

A thermo-responsive CuFeSe₂-based multifunctional nanomaterial was used for NIR light initiated hypoxic cancer therapy and CT/MR imaging.

Amphiphilic Polymer-Modified Uniform CuFeSe2 Nanoparticles for CT/MR Dual-Modal Imaging

Recently, magnetic photothermal nanomaterials have attracted much attention in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer. In this study, we developed the ultrasmall magnetic CuFeSe₂ nanoparticles for CT/MR dual-modal imaging. By controlling the reaction time and condition, CuFeSe₂ nanoparticles were synthesized by a simple directly aqueous method. After modification with copolymer methoxy polyethylene glycol-polycaprolactone (MPEG-PCL), the obtained MPEG-PCL@CuFeSe₂ nanoparticles showed excellent water solubility, colloidal stability, and biocompatibility. In addition, they also exhibited superparamagnetism and X-ray's characteristics. For these properties, they will become ideal nanomaterials for CT/MR dual-modal imaging.

Cascade synthesis and optoelectronic applications of intermediate bandgap Cu3VSe4 nanosheets

Two-dimensional (2D) ternary materials recently generated interest in optoelectronics and energy-related applications, alongside their binary counterparts. To date, only a few naturally occurring layered 2D ternary materials have been explored. The plethora of benefits owed to reduced dimensionality prompted exploration of expanding non-layered ternary chalcogenides into the 2D realm. This work presents a templating method that uses 2D transition metal dichalcogenides as initiators to be converted into the corresponding ternary chalcogenide upon addition of copper, via a solution-phase synthesis, conducted in high boiling point solvents. The process starts with preparation of VSe₂ nanosheets, which are next converted into Cu₃VSe₄ sulvanite nanosheets (NSs) which retain the 2D geometry while presenting an X-ray diffraction pattern identical with the one for the bulk Cu₃VSe₄. Both the scanning electron microscopy and transmission microscopy electron microscopy show the presence of quasi-2D morphology. Recent studies of the sulfur-containing sulvanite Cu₃VS₄ highlight the presence of an intermediate bandgap, associated with enhanced photovoltaic (PV) performance. The Cu₃VSe₄ nanosheets reported herein exhibit multiple UV–Vis absorption peaks, related to the intermediate bandgaps similar to Cu₃VS₄ and Cu₃VSe₄ nanocrystals. To test the potential of Cu₃VSe₄ NSs as an absorber for solar photovoltaic devices, Cu₃VSe₄ NSs thin-films deposited on FTO were subjected to photoelectrochemical testing, showing p-type behavior and stable photocurrents of up to ~ 0.036 mA/cm². The photocurrent shows a ninefold increase in comparison to reported performance of Cu₃VSe₄ nanocrystals. This proves that quasi-2D sulvanite nanosheets are amenable to thin-film deposition and could show superior PV performance in comparison to nanocrystal thin-films. The obtained electrical impedance spectroscopy signal of the Cu₃VSe₄ NSs-FTO based electrochemical cell fits an equivalent circuit with the circuit elements of solution resistance (R_s), charge-transfer resistance (R_ct), double-layer capacitance (C_dl), and Warburg impedance (W). The estimated charge transfer resistance value of 300 Ω cm² obtained from the Nyquist plot provides an insight into the rate of charge transfer on the electrode/electrolyte interface.

Multicomponent Transition Metal Dichalcogenide Nanosheets for Imaging-Guided Photothermal and Chemodynamic Therapy

Transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) have received considerable attention due to their strong absorption in the near-infrared (NIR) region, strong spin-orbit coupling, and excellent photothermal conversion efficiency (PCE). Herein, CoFeMn dichalcogenide nanosheets (CFMS NSs) are prepared via facile vulcanization of a lamellar CoFeMn-layered double hydroxide (LDH) precursor followed by polyvinyl pyrrolidone modification (to give CFMS-PVP NSs), and found to show excellent photoacoustic (PA) imaging and synergistic photothermal/chemodynamic therapy (PTT/CDT) performance. The as-prepared CFMS-PVP NSs inherit the ultrathin morphology of the CoFeMn-LDH precursor and exhibit an outstanding photothermal performance with a η of 89.0%, the highest PCE reported to date for 2D TMD materials. Moreover, 50% of maximum catalytic activity (Michaelis-Menten constant, K m) is attained by CFMS-PVP NSs with 0.26 × 10-3 m H2O2 at 318 K, markedly lower than the endogenous concentration of H2O2 inside tumor cells. In addition, complete apoptosis of HepG2 cancer cells and complete tumor elimination in vivo are observed after treatment with CFMS-PVP NSs at a low dose, substantiating the NSs' remarkable PTT/CDT efficacy. This work provides a new and facile approach for the synthesis of high-quality multicomponent TMD nanosheets with precise process control, the potential for mass production, and outstanding performance, providing great promise in cancer theranostics.

Cu2 MoS4 Nanozyme with NIR-II Light Enhanced Catalytic Activity for Efficient Eradication of Multidrug-Resistant Bacteria

Nanozymes with unique enzyme-like catalytic properties and versatile functionalities are particularly attractive for the treatment of bacterial infections, especially for combating drug-resistant bacteria. However, inherently low catalytic activity significantly limits their antibacterial performance. Herein, a new near-infrared II (NIR-II) light responsive nanozyme (Cu₂ MoS₄ nanoplates, CMS NPs) is developed for efficient eradication of multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria. CMS NPs with intrinsic dual enzyme-like property can generate reactive oxygen species (ROS) by catalysis. Importantly, CMS NPs show NIR-II light enhanced oxidase- and peroxidase-like catalytic activities to improve ROS generation for highly efficient killing of bacteria. In vitro results demonstrate that CMS NPs (40 µg mL^-1 ) achieve rapid killing of 8 log MDR Escherichia coli and 6 log MDR Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) under NIR-II light irradiation (1064 nm, 1 W cm^-2 ) in 10 min. Moreover, CMS NPs exhibit excellent therapeutic efficacy of MDR S. aureus infection in vivo as well as negligible toxicity to cells and animals, indicating their potential use as antibacterial agents. This work provides a novel antibacterial strategy by combining the catalytic generation of ROS and NIR-II photothermal effect of nanozymes for efficient treatment of MDR bacteria-related infections.

Nanostructures based on vanadium disulfide growing on UCNPs: simple synthesis, dual-mode imaging, and photothermal therapy

It remains a great challenge to integrate effective photothermal therapeutic materials with upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) into one structure with small size. Herein, a new and simple method was developed to combine the luminescent UCNPs with vanadium disulfide (VS2) heterogeneously growing on the UCNPs. VS2 was grown directly on the surface of UCNPs to obtain oil-soluble nanocomposites, UCNPs@VS2. Then polyethylene glycol (mPEG) was functionalized on the surface of the nanocomposites to improve the water solubility, resulting in the integrated nanostructure UCNPs@VS2-mPEG (with an approximate size of 25 nm) for bioimaging and photothermal therapy in vitro. Importantly, cytotoxicity test results show that the final nanostructure has good biocompatibility. Furthermore, due to the excellent photothermal effects of VS2 and the unique imaging function of UCNPs, the nanostructure shows effective photothermal therapy for HeLa cells and was successfully applied in magnetic resonance imaging and upconversion luminescence imaging in vitro. Therefore, this study demonstrates a simple yet powerful method of growing VS2 on the surface of UCNPs, which provides an effective method to establish one integrated nanostructure with a nanoscale advantage for dual-model bioimaging and treatment.

Boosted photocatalytic activity induced NAMPT-Regulating therapy based on elemental bismuth-humic acids heterojunction for inhibiting tumor proliferation/migration/inflammation

Due to the highly complex biological formation procedure, tumor is still difficult to be treated efficiently and always associated with proliferation, migration and inflammation during treatment. Herein, a novel strategy of boosted photocatalytic activity induced NAMPT-regulating therapy is used for tumors inhibition based on FK866 loaded bismuth-humic acids heterojunction (Bi-HA/FK866). With the reduction function of HA, Bi (Ⅲ) can be reduced to elemental Bi, which can be excited by NIR laser to form electron-hole pair due to the narrow bandgap. Moreover, the coated HA and Bi could form a heterojunction structure, which could decrease the electron-hole recombination, and further boost the photocatalytic activity, leading to highly efficient ROS generation and GSH depletion. The resulted ROS could induce DNA damage of the tumor cells, thus enhancing the sensitivity to the inhibitor of NAMPT (FK866) to downregulate NAD/ERK/NF-κB signal pathways, and eventually simultaneously prevent cancer progression. Moreover, the decreased NAD could downregulate NADPH and further suppress the innate antioxidant defense system by inhibiting reduction of GSSG. The boosted photocatalytic activity induced NAMPT-regulating therapy offers a promising way to address the important issue of penetration depth limitation induced cancer relapse and migration, providing more possibilities toward successful clinical application.

Defect modified zinc oxide with augmenting sonodynamic reactive oxygen species generation

Poor chemical stability, low tumor enrichment, and weak therapeutic effects of commonly used organic sonosensitizers significantly hinder further clinical applications of sonodynamic therapy (SDT). Encouraged by the principles of semiconductor catalysis and defect chemistry, we obtained a defect-rich gadolinium (Gd) doped zinc oxide (D-ZnOx:Gd) semiconductor sonosensitizer by defect engineering for efficient deep tumor sonodynamic eradication. The abundant oxygen defect can promote the separation of the electron (e-) and hole (h+) of D-ZnOx:Gd, which significantly enhances the sonodynamic effect. In addition, D-ZnOx:Gd is more easier to adsorb water and oxygen molecules due to its rich oxygen-deficient, greatly enhancing the capacities of ROS production. A significantly higher sonodynamic ROS generation abilities and anti-deep tumor efficiency against breast cancer are obtained in such defect-rich ZnO nanobullets. This work not only broadens the applications of ZnO semiconductor nanoagent in the field of nanomedicine, but also reveals the mechanism of how the oxygen deficiency enhanced the sonodynamic efficacy of zinc oxide, providing a new application of defect engineering in the field of cancer therapy.

Strongly emitting and long-lived silver indium sulfide quantum dots for bioimaging: Insight into co-ligand effect on enhanced photoluminescence

Nanoscale ternary chalcogenides have attracted increasing research interest due to their merits of tunable properties and diverse applications in energy and biomedical fields. In this article, silver indium sulfide quantum dots supported by glutathione and polyethyleneimine as dual-ligands have been synthesized through an environmentally friendly and reproducible aqueous method. An emission quantum yield up to 37.2% has been achieved by glutathione as co-ligand bearing electron-rich groups, much higher than that of polyethyleneimine coated quantum dots (4.97%). Both spectroscopic and structural characterizations demonstrate that the photoluminescence enhancement is attributed to change of surface properties by glutathione as co-ligand. Dynamic light scattering (DLS) results and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) reveal that glutathione covers the QDs with a higher density on the nanocrystal surface than other co-ligands. Therefore, it can effectively passivate the surface trap centers, thus decreasing the non-radiative emission. Moreover, the resultant silver indium sulfide quantum dots present surprisingly long lifetime of 3.69 μs, excellent fluorescent stability and low cytotoxicity, which enables them to be ideal candidate for real-time bioimaging.

ICG-Conjugated and 125 I-Labeled Polymeric Micelles with High Biosafety for Multimodality Imaging-Guided Photothermal Therapy of Tumors

Noninvasive multimodality imaging-guided precision photothermal therapy (PTT) is proven to be an effective strategy for tumor theranostics by integrating diagnostics and therapeutics in one nanoplatform. In this study, indocyanine green (ICG)-conjugated and radionuclide iodine-125 (125 I)-labeled polymeric micelles (PEG-PTyr(125 I)-ICG PMs) are strategically prepared by the self-assembly of the ICG-decorated amphiphilic diblock polymer poly(ethylene glycol)-poly(l-tyrosine-125 I)-(indocyanine green) (PEG-PTyr(125 I)-ICG). The as-prepared polymeric micelles exhibit favorable biocompatibility, excellent size/photo/radiolabel stability, a high-photothermal conversion efficiency, a passive tumor-targeting ability, and a fluorescence (FL)/photoacoustic (PA)/single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) imaging property. After tail intravenous injection, the polymeric micelles can efficiently accumulate at the tumor site and present comprehensive FL/PA/SPECT images with a high sensitivity, excellent spatial resolution, and unlimited tissue penetration under near-infrared (NIR) irradiation. Upon 808 nm laser irradiation, the subsequent precision PTT of tumors can be achieved with minimal cumulative side effects. Thus, this capable multifunctional nanoplatform with simple components and preparation procedures for FL/PA/SPECT multimodality imaging-guided PTT can be a potential candidate for clinical tumor theranostics.

Copper chalcogenide materials as photothermal agents for cancer treatment

Copper-based chalcogenide nanomaterials have made tremendous progress for cancer theranostics due to their simple preparation, low cost, stable performance, and easy functionalization. But a systematic review and analysis about them does not exist. Therefore, we offer an account, mainly focusing on the design and functionalization of the copper-based chalcogenide nanomaterials for cancer theranostics, aiming to briefly demonstrate the design and concepts, summarize some of the past studies and analyze the development trends in the copper-based chalcogenide nanomaterials for clinical application.

Overcoming Radioresistance in Tumor Therapy by Alleviating Hypoxia and Using the HIF-1 Inhibitor

Radiotherapy has been extensively used to treat cancer patients because it can effectively damage most solid tumors without penetration limits. A hypoxic microenvironment in solid tumors leads to severe radioresistance and expression of hypoxic inducible factor-1 (HIF-1), which results in poor efficacy of radiotherapy alone. Herein, we report the excellent efficacy of radiotherapy achieved using a new type of yolk-shell Cu_2-xSe@PtSe (CSP) nanosensitizer functionalized with the HIF-1α inhibitor acriflavine (ACF). We prepare the CSP nanosensitizer through the interfacial redox reactions between chloroplatinic acid and Cu_2-xSe nanoparticles (CS) and then functionalize the nanosensitizer with ACF through their electrostatic interactions. We show that the synthesized CSP nanosensitizer can arrest the cell cycle (i.e., at the gap 2/mitosis (G₂/M) phases) of tumor cells to enhance their sensitivity to X-rays and decompose endogenous H₂O₂ into O₂ to reduce hypoxia and increase the production of reactive oxygen species, which leads to severe damage to DNA double strands and apoptosis of tumor cells. We also show that the ACF on the surface of CSP nanoparticles can effectively reduce the expression of HIF-1α. All these effects lead to a low vascular endothelial growth factor, low density of microvessels in tumor, decreased cell proliferation, and increased cell apoptosis, which synergistically and drastically enhance the efficacy of radiotherapy. This work provides insights and guidance for developing novel nanosensitizers to enhance the efficacy of radiotherapy.

PVP-coated Sb2Se3 nanorods as nanotheranostic agents for photoacoustic imaging and photothermal therapy in NIR-I bio-windows

Antimony selenide (Sb₂Se₃) as a simple, low toxicity, low-cost p-type semiconductor material with broad absorbance ranging from the UV to the NIR region has many potential applications in photovoltaic, thermoelectric, and phase-change memory devices. Owing to these excellent properties, Sb₂Se₃ nanorods were firstly synthesized with triphenylantimony and dibenzyldiselenide under solvothermal conditions. In order to enhance the biocompatibility of the Sb₂Se₃ nanorods, polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) was coated onto the surface of the Sb₂Se₃ nanorods to form PVP-coated Sb₂Se₃ nanorods. The cell viability of PVP-coated Sb₂Se₃ nanorods toward Hep-2 cells was assessed for 24 h using a Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) assay. The results showed that Hep-2 cells treated with PVP-coated Sb₂Se₃ nanorods were alive at a concentration as high as 100 μg mL⁻¹ in the absence of NIR irradiation. In vivo assessment confirmed that PVP-coated Sb₂Se₃ nanorods exhibited excellent photoacoustic imaging and PTT performance, which yielded complete ablation of tumors after laser irradiation (808 nm or 980 nm) in the NIR-I bio-window.

Herein we reported a biocompatible PVP-coated Sb₂Se₃ nanorods as PTT nanotheranostic agent, which is responsive to the light (808 and 980 nm) in NIR-I bio-windows and effective for photoacoustic imaging and photothermal destruction of cancer cell.

Synergic effect of doxorubicin release and two-photon irradiation of Mn2+-doped Prussian blue nanoparticles on cancer therapy

We demonstrate here that Mn²⁺-doped Prussian blue nanoparticles of ca. 55 nm loaded with doxorubicin may be used as efficient therapeutic agents for combined photothermal and chemo-therapy of cancer cells with a synergic effect under two photon irradiation.

Mn²⁺-doped Prussian blue nanoparticles loaded with doxorubicin present high efficiency for combined photothermal and chemotherapy of cancer cells with a synergic effect under two-photon irradiation.

A Dual-Modality MR/PA Imaging Contrast Agent Based on Ultrasmall Biopolymer Nanoparticles for Orthotopic Hepatocellular Carcinoma Imaging

BACKGROUND

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the second leading cause of cancer death and early stage diagnosis can greatly increase the survival rate of patient. However, the accurate detection of HCC remains an urgent challenge in medical diagnosis. The combination of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and photoacoustic imaging (PAI) are conducive for accurate locating of cancerous tissue. Therefore, it is necessary to explore a more facile and biosafe dual-modal contrast agent for orthotopic HCC detection.

METHODS

In this study, a promising contrast agent had been identified based on gadolinium chelated melanin nanoparticles and evaluated its usage as a dual-modal T1 MRI and PAI contrast agent for orthotopic HCC detection.

RESULTS

The gadolinium-based melanin nanoparticles presented ultrasmall size, high chelation stability and negligible cytotoxicity estimated by CCK-8 assay. Moreover, the nanoparticle exhibited higher r1 relaxivity (45.762 mM-1 s-1) than clinically approved Gadodiamide (4.975 mM-1 s-1) at 1.5 T MR scanning. A linear regression analysis confirmed that the nanoparticles were ideal candidates for PAI in vitro. After the nanoparticles were injected into vein in mice with orthotopic HCC, a dramatic increase in signal of the liver was observed at 0.5 hr by MRI and PAI, while the tumor exerted remarkable signal enhancement at 7 hrs, showing excellent detection sensitivity. In addition, the nanoparticles exhibited excellent biocompatibility and they can be excreted through both hepatobiliary and renal pathways after diagnosis.

CONCLUSION

These results indicate that the ultrasmall gadolinium chelated melanin nanoparticles is a promising candidate as a dual-modal MRI/PAI contrast agent for the detection of orthotopic HCC.

Recent Advances in Glucose-Oxidase-Based Nanocomposites for Tumor Therapy

Glucose oxidase (GOx) can react with intracellular glucose and oxygen (O₂ ) to produce hydrogen peroxide (H₂ O₂ ) and gluconic acid, which can cut off the nutrition source of cancer cells and consequently inhibit their proliferation. Therefore, GOx is recognised as an ideal endogenous oxido-reductase for cancer starvation therapy. This process can further regulate the tumor microenvironment by increasing the hypoxia and the acidity. Thus, GOx offers new possibilities for the elaborate design of multifunctional nanocomposites for tumor therapy. However, natural GOx is expensive to prepare and purify and exhibits immunogenicity, short in vivo half-life, and systemic toxicity. Furthermore, GOx is highly prone to degrade after exposure to biological conditions. These intrinsic shortcomings will undoubtedly limit its biomedical applications. Accordingly, some nanocarriers can be used to protect GOx from the surrounding environment, thus controlling or preserving the activity. A variety of nanocarriers including hollow mesoporous silica nanoparticles, metal-organic frameworks, organic polymers, and magnetic nanoparticles are summarized for the construction of GOx-based nanocomposites for multimodal synergistic cancer therapy. In addition, current challenges and promising developments in this area are highlighted.

Hyperthermia and Controllable Free Radical Coenhanced Synergistic Therapy in Hypoxia Enabled by Near-Infrared-II Light Irradiation

Tumor cell metabolism and tumor blood vessel proliferation are distinct from normal cells. The resulting tumor microenvironment presents a characteristic of hypoxia, which greatly limits the generation of oxygen free radicals and affects the therapeutic effect of photodynamic therapy. Here, we developed an oxygen-independent free radical generated nanosystem (CuFeSe₂-AIPH@BSA) with dual-peak absorption in both near-infrared (NIR) regions and utilized it for imaging-guided synergistic treatment. The special absorption provides the nanosystem with high photothermal conversion efficiency and favorably matched photoactivity in both I and II NIR biological windows. Upon NIR light irradiation, the generated heat could prompt AIPH release and decompose to produce oxygen-independent free radicals for killing cancer cells effectively. The contrastive research results show that the enhanced therapeutic efficacy of NIR-II over NIR-I is principally due to its deeper tissue penetration and higher maximum permission exposure that benefits from a longer wavelength. Hyperthermia effect and the production of toxic free radicals upon NIR-II laser illumination are extremely effective in triggering apoptosis and death of cancer cells in the tumor hypoxia microenvironment. The high biocompatibility and excellent anticancer efficiency of CuFeSe₂-AIPH@BSA allow it to be an ideal oxygen-independent nanosystem for imaging-guided and NIR-II-mediated synergistic therapy via systemic administration.

Glutathione triggered degradation of polydopamine to facilitate controlled drug release for synergic combinational cancer treatment

Here we report a novel mechanism for triggering drug release in the polydopamine (PDA)-coated magnetic CuCo2S4 core-shell nanostructure by glutathione (GSH) triggered degradation of PDA for release. In the design, we used PDA coated CuCo2S4 as the nanocarrier with polyethylene glycol and folic acid targeting molecules to ensure the safe delivery of doxorubicin (DOX) to cancer cells. In addition, the controlled release could be enforced by taking advantage of the pH sensitivity of PDA to tumor acidic environments. The targeting and treatment of HeLa cancer cells were very effective and the killing was more efficient at higher levels of GSH. Furthermore, the designed system not only could be used for drug delivery but also could combine photothermal therapy with chemotherapy in a synergetic way. Plus, the system could be used for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), which is beneficial for imaging-guided treatment.

Facile Synthesis of Novel Prussian Blue-Lipid Nanocomplexes

Prussian blue (PB) is known for its multiple applications ranging from fine arts to therapeutics. More recently, PB nanoparticles have been pointed to as appealing photothermal agents (PA) when irradiated with wavelengths corresponding to the biological windows, namely regions located in the near infrared (NIR) zone. In addition, the combination of PB with other components such as phospholipids boosts their therapeutical potential by facilitating, for instance, the incorporation of drugs becoming suitable drug delivery systems. The novelty of the research relies on the synthesis procedure and characterization of hybrid lipid-PB nanoparticles with a high yield in a friendly environment suitable for photothermal therapy. This goal was achieved by first obtaining insoluble PB coated with oleylamine (OA) to facilitate its combination with lipids. The resulting lipid-PB complex showed a monomodal distribution of sizes with an overall size of around 100 nm and a polydispersity index of about 0.200. It highlights one critical step in the synthesis procedure that is the shaking time of the mixture of PB-OA nanoparticles with the lipid, which was found to be 48 h. This time assured homogeneous preparation without the need of further separation stages. Samples were stable for more than three months under several storage conditions.

Nanoagents Based on Poly(ethylene glycol)-b-Poly(l-thyroxine) Block Copolypeptide for Enhanced Dual-Modality Imaging and Targeted Tumor Radiotherapy

Future healthcare requires development of novel theranostic agents that are capable of not only enhancing diagnosis and monitoring therapeutic responses but also augmenting therapeutic outcomes. Here, a versatile and stable nanoagent is reported based on poly(ethylene glycol)-b-poly(l-thyroxine) (PEG-PThy) block copolypeptide for enhanced single photon emission computed tomography/computed tomography (SPECT/CT) dual-modality imaging and targeted tumor radiotherapy in vivo. PEG-PThy acquired by polymerization of l-thyroxine-N-carboxyanhydride (Thy-NCA) displays a controlled M_n , high iodine content of ≈49.2 wt%, and can spontaneously form 65 nm-sized nanoparticles (PThyN). In contrast to clinically used contrast agents like iohexol and iodixanol, PThyN reveals iso-osmolality, low viscosity, and long circulation time. While PThyN exhibits comparable in vitro CT attenuation efficacy to iohexol, it greatly enhances in vivo CT imaging of vascular systems and soft tissues. PThyN allows for surface decoration with the cRGD peptide achieving enhanced CT imaging of subcutaneous B16F10 melanoma and orthotopic A549 lung tumor. Taking advantages of a facile iodine exchange reaction, ¹²⁵ I-labeled PThyN enables SPECT/CT imaging of tumors and monitoring of PThyN biodistribution in vivo. Besides, ¹³¹ I-labeled and cRGD-functionalized PThyN displays remarkable growth inhibition of the B16F10 tumor in mice (tumor inhibition rate > 89%). These poly(l-thyroxine) nanoparticles provide a unique and versatile theranostic platform for varying diseases.

Radiosensitive core/satellite ternary heteronanostructure for multimodal imaging-guided synergistic cancer radiotherapy

Developing safe, effective and targeting radiosensitizers with clear action mechanisms to achieve synergistic localized cancer treatment is an important strategy for radiotherapy. Herein, we design and synthesize a ternary heteronanostructure radiosensitizer (SeAuFe-EpC) with core/satellite morphology by a simple method to realize multimodal imaging-guided cancer radiotherapy. The mechanistic studies reveal that Se incorporation could drastically improve the electrical conductivity and lower the energy barrier between the three components, resulting in more electrons transfer between Se-Au interface and migration over the heterogeneous junction of Au-Fe₃O₄ NPs interface. This synergistic interaction enhanced the energy transfer and facilitated more excited excitons generated by SeAuFe-EpC NPs, thus promoting the transformation of ³O₂ to ¹O₂via resonance energy transfer, finally resulting in irreversible cancer cell apoptosis. Additionally, based on the X-ray attenuation ability and high NIR absorption of AuNPs and the superparamagnetism of Fe₃O₄, in vivo computer tomography, photoacoustic and magnetic resonance tri-modal imaging have been employed to visualize the tracking and targeting ability of the NPs. As expected, the NPs specifically accumulated in orthotopic breast tumor area and achieved synergistic anticancer efficacy, but showed no toxic side effects on main organs. Collectively, this study sheds light on the potential roles of core/satellite heteronanostructure in imaging-guided cancer radiotherapy.

Modulation of oxygen vacancy in tungsten oxide nanosheets for Vis-NIR light-enhanced electrocatalytic hydrogen production and anticancer photothermal therapy

Oxygen vacancy (OV) tuning was introduced into oxygen-deficient WO3 nanosheets to optimize the chemical and electronic properties. Enhanced electronic conduction, extended light absorption, enhanced HER reaction kinetics and benign photothermal performance were verified by density functional theory (DFT) calculations and experimental studies. Vis-NIR light-enhanced electrocatalytic HER was accomplished with a small overpotential of 52 mV (at 10 mA cm-2) and a low Tafel slope of 37 mV dec-1 and performed much more efficiently than that in darkness, comparable to the noble-metal catalysts (Pt, Pt/C). Moreover, the resultant WO3-OVs possess good photothermal conversion efficiency. The promising potential of the WO3-OVs for anticancer photothermal therapy has been demonstrated with a high photothermal conversion efficiency (∼41.6%) upon single wavelength near-infrared irradiation and an efficient tumor inhibition rate (∼96.8%). This design of photoelectronic/thermal materials paves an exciting new avenue for the conversion of well-developed metal oxides to be high-performance and multifunctional materials for energy and oncology applications.

Enhanced melanoma cell-killing by combined phototherapy/radiotherapy using a mesoporous platinum nanostructure

BACKGROUND

Metal nanomaterials have a significant potential as photosensitizer and radiosensitizer. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the cytotoxicity of a platinum mesoporous nanostructure (Pt MN) toward a melanoma cancer cell line upon combined laser radiation (808 nm, 1 and 1.5 W cm^-2) and X-ray irradiation (6 MV, 2, 4, and 6 Gy).

METHODS

Pt MN was synthesized by a simple procedure and characterized by field emission scanning and transmission electron microscopy. A mouse malignant melanoma cell line C540 (B16/F10) was treated with Pt MN, laser light and/or X-ray.

RESULTS

Pt MN had a mesoporous structure with a sponge-resemble shape comprised of ensembles of very small adhered particles of <11 nm and about 5-nm pores. While Pt MN represented a low toxicity toward and considerable uptake into the cell line in a concentration range of 10-100 μg mL^-1, laser light radiation alone was also not toxic, and X-ray irradiation alone induced a limited toxicity, Pt MN was toxic against the cells in a dose dependent manner upon laser light radiation, X-ray irradiation, or their combined exposure. The killing efficacy of Pt MN upon X-ray irradiation was more obvious at 72 h post-treatment. The combined exposure (laser radiation followed by X-ray irradiation) led to a deep cell killing and a very low melanoma cell viability (∼1%). Significant melanoma cancer cell killing of Pt MN was due to reactive oxygen species (ROS) production upon combined exposure of laser and X-ray, while cell killing upon laser light radiation was due to heat generation.

CONCLUSION

Pt MN was introduced as a supreme laser/X-ray sensitizer for treatment of cancer with a high ability to produce ROS and a potent impact on decreasing cell viability.

Nanobiomaterials: from 0D to 3D for tumor therapy and tissue regeneration

Nanobiomaterials have attracted tremendous attention in the biomedical field. Especially in the past few years, a large number of low dimensional nanobiomaterials, including 0D nanostructures, 1D nanotubes and 2D nanosheets, were employed for tumor therapy due to their optically triggered tumor therapy effects and drug loading capacities. However, these low dimensional nanobiomaterials cannot support cell adhesion and possess poor tissue regeneration ability, thus they are not suitable for application in regenerative medicine. Three dimensional (3D) nanofiber scaffolds have attracted extensive attention in tissue regeneration, including bone, skin, nerve and cardiac tissues, due to their similar extracellular matrix structures. Additionally, many 3D scaffolds displayed bone and cartilage regeneration abilities. Therefore, to obtain materials with both tumor therapy and tissue regeneration abilities, it is meaningful and necessary to develop 3D nanobiomaterials with multifunctions. In this review, we systematically review the research progress of nanobiomaterials with varied dimensional structures including 0D, 1D, 2D and 3D, as well as evolutional functions from single tumor therapy to simultaneous tumor therapy and tissue regeneration. This review may pave the way for developing an interdisciplinary research of nanobiomaterials in combination of tumor therapy and regenerative medicine.

Boosting often overlooked long wavelength emissions of rare-earth nanoparticles for NIR-II fluorescence imaging of orthotopic glioblastoma

Rare-earth nanoparticles (RE NPs) with narrow long wavelength emissions have been recently investigated for their potential application for fluorescence imaging in the second near-infrared window (NIR-II). Previously these RE NPs have a very limited application in the diagnosis and treatment of deep-seated tumors such as brain tumors, due to their weak fluorescence in the range of 1300-1700 nm. Herein, we report a significant enhancement of more than 10 times regular emission of NaNdF₄ nanoparticles at 1340 nm wavelength by coating them with an inert layer of NaLuF₄, followed by sensitizing with a near-infrared dye (IR-808). We deliver these highly bright nanoparticles into the brain by using focused ultrasound to temporarily open the blood-brain barrier (BBB), and then detect the orthotopic glioblastoma by fluorescence imaging at 1340 nm. The images obtained from long wavelength fluorescence (i.e. 1340 nm) exhibited better resolution and contrast compared to the short wavelength fluorescence (i.e. 1060 nm). Our study not only provides insights for enhancing often overlooked emissions of rare-earth nanoparticles for NIR-II fluorescence imaging of deep-seated tumors, but also demonstrates great potential of focused ultrasound based technology in delivering nanotheranostic agents.

The release and detection of copper ions from ultrasmall theranostic Cu2-xSe nanoparticles

Nanoscale copper chalcogenides have been widely used in nanomedicine, however, their pharmacokinetics, degradation, and biological effects of released copper ions are usually overlooked, which are crucial for their future clinical translation. Herein, we report the in vitro and in vivo release of copper ions from polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) functionalized ultrasmall copper selenide (Cu2-xSe) theranostic nanoparticles. We synthesized a Cu2+-specific fluorescent probe (NCM), which can quickly and specifically react with copper ions to exhibit very strong near infrared fluorescence. The in vitro study shows that copper ions can be slowly released from Cu2-xSe nanoparticles in aqueous solution with the progress of their oxidation. The release of copper ions from Cu2-xSe nanoparticles in RAW 264.7 murine macrophages is very fast, evidenced by the gradual increase of fluorescence intensity and the diffusion of fluorescence from cytoplasm into nuclei. We also demonstrate the distribution, degradation, and the metabolism of ultrasmall Cu2-xSe nanoparticles by the in vivo fluorescence imaging, the blood routine test, blood biochemistry and histology analysis, and the characterization of copper transport and binding proteins. The results show that ultrasmall Cu2-xSe nanoparticles were mainly eliminated through feces and urine from the body within 72 h after intravenous injection, and the released copper ions did not cause severe toxicity. Our research highlights the great potential of copper chalcogenide nanoparticles in nanomedicine.

Cholesterol-Modified Black Phosphorus Nanospheres for the First NIR-II Fluorescence Bioimaging

Black phosphorus (BP) nanostructures with unique layer-dependent properties have been extensively applied in the fields of electronic devices, energy conversion and storage, and nanomedicine. As a narrow band gap semiconductor, they are expected to show strong second near-infrared (NIR-II) fluorescence. However, there is no report on the NIR-II fluorescence of free-standing BP nanostructures, which have great potential in the NIR-II fluorescence bioimaging because of their excellent biocompatibility and biodegradability. Here, for the first time, we report that the BP nanoparticles modified with cholesterol exhibit strong NIR-II fluorescence and can be encapsulated with the PEGylated lipid to form BP@lipid-PEG nanospheres for in vitro and in vivo NIR-II imaging. The resultant BP@lipid-PEG nanospheres exhibit broad emissions from 900 to 1650 nm under excitation by an 808 nm laser and have 8% quantum yield of that of standard dye IR-26. We also show that the NIR-II fluorescence image acquired with emission beyond 1400 nm has the sharpest contrast and can be used to in situ measure the diameter of blood vessels. In addition to NIR-II fluorescence imaging, we also show the potential of BP@lipid-PEG nanospheres in photoacoustic (PA) imaging. Both the long-wavelength NIR-II fluorescence imaging and PA imaging reveal that the as-fabricated BP@lipid-PEG nanospheres can be gradually metabolized by the liver in 48 h, thus making them promising for bioapplications.

Clearable Theranostic Platform with a pH-Independent Chemodynamic Therapy Enhancement Strategy for Synergetic Photothermal Tumor Therapy

Chemodynamic therapy (CDT) is an emerging field, which utilizes intratumoral iron-mediated Fenton chemistry for cancer therapy. However, the slightly acidic tumor environment is improper for the classical Fenton reaction, which is generally energetic in a narrow pH range (e.g., pH = 3-4). Herein, a kind of ultrasmall bovine serum albumin (BSA)-modified chalcopyrite nanoparticles (BSA-CuFeS₂ NPs) was synthesized via a facile aqueous biomineralization strategy, which shows high dispersity and biocompatibility. Interestingly, the obtained BSA-CuFeS₂ shows a pH-independent Fenton-like reaction, which could exert Fenton-like activity to efficiently generate ^•OH under a weak acidic tumor environment. Combined with the extraordinarily high photothermal conversion (38.8%), BSA-CuFeS₂ shows the synergistic function of high photothermal therapy (PTT) and enhanced CDT, that is, PTT/CDT. Importantly, such ultrasmall BSA-CuFeS₂ NPs measuring around 4.9 nm can be quickly cleared out of the body through kidneys and liver, thus effectively avoiding long-term toxicity and systemic toxicity. Moreover, BSA-CuFeS₂ NPs can act as an efficient T₂-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agent to guide tumor ablation in vivo. This work offers a universal approach to boost production ^•OH by a pH-independent Fenton-like reaction strategy and achieves MRI-guided synergistic enhanced photothermal-CDT for highly efficient tumor treatment.

Fe3O4 Nanoparticles Functionalized with Polymer Ligand for T1-Weighted MRI In Vitro and In Vivo

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has gained wide interest in early accurate diagnoses due to the high resolution and low toxicity of magnetic nanoparticles. In order to develop potential alternatives of toxic Gd- or Mn-based chelating agents, we report the synthesis of water soluble ultra-small Fe3O4 nanoparticles by a modified co-precipitation method as T1-weighted positive contrast agents. The magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (MIONs) were functionalized by polymer ligand dodecanthiol-polymethacrylic acid (DDT-PMAA) to enhance their colloidal stability. These MIONs have high longitudinal relaxivity (r1 = 8.18 mM-1·S-1) and exhibited good results in the in vitro and in vivo MR imaging. No toxicity was observed in cytotoxicity assay and histology toxicity analysis. The MIONs@DDT-PMAA(magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles @ dodecanthiol-polymethacrylic acid) present great potential as positive contrast agents for tumor diagnosis.

Light-Enhanced O2-Evolving Nanoparticles Boost Photodynamic Therapy To Elicit Antitumor Immunity

Breast cancer remains to show high mortality and poor prognosis in women despite of significant progress in recent diagnosis and treatment. Herein, we report the rational design of a highly efficient ultrasmall nanotheranostic agent with excellent photodynamic therapy (PDT) performance to against breast cancer and its metastasis by eliciting antitumor immunity. The ultrasmall nanoagent (3.1 ± 0.4 nm) was fabricated from polyethylene glycol modified Cu_{2- x}Se nanoparticles, β-cyclodextrin, and chlorin e6 under ambient conditions. The resultant nanoplatform (CS-CD-Ce6 NPs) can be passively accumulated into the tumor to exhibit dramatic antitumor efficacy through the excellent PDT effect under near-infrared irradiation. The excellent PDT performance of this nanoplatform is owing to its role as a Fenton-like Haber-Weiss catalyst for the efficient degradation of H₂O₂ within the tumor to release hydroxyl radicals (^·OH) and very toxic singlet oxygen (¹O₂) under irradiation. The generated vast amounts of reactive oxygen species not only killed primary tumor cells but also elicited immunogenic cell death (ICD) to release damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) and induced proinflammatory M1-macrophages polarization. Thereby, antitumor immune responses against the metastasis of breast cancer were robustly evoked. Our work demonstrates that ultrasmall Cu_{2- x}Se nanoparticle-based nanoplatform offers a promising way to prevent cancer metastasis via immunogenic effects through its excellent PDT performance.

Second near-infrared photodynamic therapy and chemotherapy of orthotopic malignant glioblastoma with ultra-small Cu2-xSe nanoparticles

The treatment of malignant glioblastoma is a huge challenge due to the existence of the blood-brain barrier. Herein, we report the treatment of orthotopic malignant glioblastoma with imaging guided second near-infrared (NIR-II) photodynamic therapy and chemotherapy by using drug-loaded ultra-small Cu2-xSe theranostic nanoparticles (NPs). Ultra-small Cu2-xSe NPs possess a strong absorbance in the NIR-II window, and their absorption at 1064 nm is around 2 times that at 808 nm. Their strong NIR-II absorbance and the deeper-tissue penetration of NIR-II light ensure excellent photodynamic therapy performance under irradiation with a 1064 nm laser. We also demonstrate that ultra-small Cu2-xSe NPs can produce vast amounts of reactive oxygen species via electron transfer (for ˙OH generation) and energy transfer (for 1O2 generation) mechanisms under irradiation. In addition, these NPs can be effectively and locally transported into orthotopic malignant glioblastoma with the assistance of focused ultrasound. The deposited Cu2-xSe NPs can be used for photoacoustic imaging to guide the combined NIR-II photodynamic therapy and chemotherapy. The results show that the tumor growth can be significantly suppressed. This work demonstrates the great potential of drug-loaded ultra-small Cu2-xSe NPs as a promising therapeutic agent for the treatment of orthotopic malignant glioblastoma.

Neuroblastoma-targeting triangular gadolinium oxide nanoplates for precise excision of cancer

Neuroblastoma accounts for 8-10% of malignancies in infants and children. It is urgent to develop an appropriate theranostic agent for effective diagnosis and therapy of neuroblastoma. Herein, we constructed RVG peptide and IRDye800-conjugated bovine serum albumin-coated triangular gadolinium oxide nanoplates (RVG&IRDye800-Gd₂O₃ TNs) as a targeting MRI agent for the diagnosis of neuroblastoma preoperation and a fluorescence imaging agent for the guidance of the precise excision of the neuroblastoma in surgery. RVG&IRDye800-Gd₂O₃ TNs have uniform edge length. The RVG&IRDye800-Gd₂O₃ TNs show remarkably enhanced affinity to both mouse- and human-derived neuroblastoma cells compared with IRDye800-Gd₂O₃ TNs (3.07-fold and 3.02-fold, respectively). Because of the increased accumulation in tumor cells, RVG&IRDye800-Gd₂O₃ TNs exhibit signals threefold to fivefold higher than the surrounding normal tissues, which is propitious to the diagnosis of neuroblastoma preoperation and provides real-time visual guidance of the precise excision of the neuroblastoma. Most importantly, with the guidance of the fluorescence imaging agent, the survival rate increased from 0% to 80% 42 days after surgery compared with that in conventional surgery. These findings indicated that the RVG peptide combined with IRDye800-Gd₂O₃ TNs has the potential to improve the diagnosis and treatment of patients with neuroblastoma. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: In this study, we prepared RVG peptide and IRDye800-conjugated bovine serum albumin-coated triangular gadolinium oxide nanoplates (RVG&IRDye800-Gd₂O₃ TNs) as a targeting MRI agent for the diagnosis of neuroblastoma preoperation and a fluorescence imaging agent for the guidance of the precise excision of the neuroblastoma during surgery. Neuroblastoma was accurately located by MRI imaging, and the tumor margin could be real-time monitored through near-infrared fluorescence imaging. The RVG&IRDye800-Gd₂O₃ TNs exhibit signals threefold to fivefold higher than those in the surrounding normal tissues, which is propitious to the diagnosis of the neuroblastoma preoperation and provides real-time visual guidance of the precise excision of the neuroblastoma. With the guidance of the fluorescence imaging agent in surgery, the survival rate increased from 0% to 80% 42 days after surgery compared with that in conventional surgery.