α-Fe2O3@Au-PEG-Ce6-Gd Nanoparticles as Acidic H2O2-Driven Oxygenators for Multimodal Imaging and Synergistic Tumor Therapy

Nanoparticles with visual imaging capabilities and synergistic therapeutics have a bright future in antitumor applications. However, most of the current nanomaterials lack multiple imaging-guided therapeutic capabilities. In this study, a novel enhanced photothermal photodynamic antitumor nanoplatform with photo-thermal imaging, fluorescence (FL) imaging, and MRI-guided therapeutic capabilities was constructed by grafting gold, dihydropor-phyrin Ce6, and Gd onto alpha-iron trioxide. This antitumor nanoplatform can convert NIR light into local hyperthermia at a temperature of up to 53 degrees C under NIR light irradiation, while Ce6 can generate singlet oxygen, which further synergizes the tumor-killing effect. At the same time, alpha-Fe2O3@Au-PEG-Ce6-Gd can also have significant photothermal imaging effect under light irradiation, which can guide to see the temperature change near the tumor tissue. It is worth noting that alpha-Fe2O3@Au-PEG-Ce6-Gd can have obvious MRI and FL imaging effects after tail vein injection in mice with blood circulation, realizing imaging-guided synergistic antitumor therapy. alpha-Fe2O3@Au-PEG-Ce6-Gd NPs provide a new solution for tumor imaging and treatment.