Magnetic and fluorescent carbon nanotubes for dual modal imaging and photothermal and chemo-therapy of cancer cells in living mice

Abstract Multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) have drawn increasing attention in biomedical fields because of their unique structures and properties, including good photothermal performance, large surface areas, strong near-infrared (NIR) absorbance, and size stability on the nanoscale. However, big challenge for this platform is to achieve fluorescence/magnetic resonance (MR) imaging and photothermal therapy (PTT) therapy in single nanotube. In this work, Multi-walled carbon nanotubes-magnetofluorescent carbon quantum dots/doxorubicin nanocomposites was prepared. The nanocomposite was then used as carriers for targeted drug transport in cancer therapy. These nanocomposites possess high heat-generating ability, pH and NIR responsive drug delivery, and heat-induced high drug release as well. Experiments in vitro and in vivo show that this platform can deliver anti-cancer drugs to targeted cells, releasing them intracellular upon NIR irradiation, and eliminate tumors effectively through chemo/photothermal synergistic therapeutic effect. Based on the findings of this work, further development of using other CNTs as highly efficient NIR agents can be achieved for vivo tumor imaging and chemo/photothermal synergistic therapeutic.