Near-infrared Au nanorods in photodynamic therapy, hyperthermia agents, and near-infrared optical imaging

The development of multifunctional nanomaterials is currently a topic of interest in the field of nanotechnology. Integrated systems that incorporate therapeutics, molecular targeting, and diagnostic imaging capabilities are considered to be the next generation of multifunctional nanomedicine. In this work, we present the first example of using Au nanorods simultaneously serving not only as photodynamic and photothermal agents to destroy A549 malignant cells but also as optical contrast agents simultaneously to monitor cellular image. Au nanorods were successfully conjugated with hydrophilic photosensitizer, indocyanine green (ICG), to achieve photodynamic therapy (PDT) and hyperthermia. With the combination of PDT and hyperthermia proved to be efficiently killing cancer cells as compared to PDT or hyperthermia treatment alone and enhanced the effectiveness of photodestruction. Moreover, Au nanorods conjugated with ICG displayed high chemical stability and simultaneously acted as a promising cellular image probe. As a result, the preparation of Au nanorods conjugated with photosensitizers as well as their use in biomedical applications is valuable developments in multifunctional nanomaterials.