Multifunctional Superparticles for Magnetically Targeted NIR‐II Imaging and Photodynamic Therapy

Abstract

Theranostics, the combination of diagnostics and therapies, has been considered as a promising strategy for clinical cancer treatment. Nonetheless, building a smart theranostic system with multifunction for different on-demand applications still remains elusive. Herein, an easy and user-friendly microemulsion based method is developed to modularly assemble upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) and Fe₃ O₄ nanoparticles together, forming multifunctional UCNPs/Fe₃ O₄ superparticles with highly integrated functionalities including the 808 nm excitation for real-time NIR-II imaging, magnetic targeting, and the upconversion luminescence upon 980 nm excitation for on-demand photodynamic therapy (PDT). With a magnet placed nearby the tumor, in vivo NIR-II imaging uncovers that superparticles tend to migrate toward the tumor and exhibit intense tumor accumulation, ≈6 folds higher than that without magnetic targeting 2 h after intravenous injection. NIR laser irradiation is then used to trigger PDT, obtaining an outstanding tumor elimination under magnetic tumor targeting, which shows a high potential to be applied in targeted cancer theranostics.