Targeted lipid-polyaniline hybrid nanoparticles for photoacoustic imaging guided photothermal therapy of cancer

Designing a targeted and versatile photothermal agent for the integration of precise diagnosis and effective photothermal treatment of tumors is desirable but remains a great challenge. In this study, folic acid ligand conjugated lipid-coated polyaniline hybrid nanoparticles (FA–Lipid–PANI NPs) were successfully fabricated by a distinctive technology. The obtained hybrid FA–Lipid–PANI NPs with small size exhibited not only significant photoacoustic (PA) imaging signals, but also a remarkable photothermal effect for tumor treatment. With PA imaging and photothermal therapy (PTT), the tumor could be accurately positioned and thoroughly eradicated in vivo after intravenous injection of FA–Lipid–PANI NPs. These multifunctional nanoparticles could play an important role in simultaneously facilitating imaging and PTT to achieve better therapeutic efficacy.