Self-Assembly of Paramagnetic Amphiphilic Copolymers for Synergistic Therapy

Engineering nanoparticles (NPs) with multifunctionality has become a promising strategy for cancer theranostics. Herein, theranostic polymer NPs are fabricated via the assembly of an amphiphilic paramagnetic block copolymers (PCL-b-PIEtMn), in which IR-780 and doxorubicin (DOX) were co-encapsulated for magnetic resonance (MR) and near infrared fluorescence (NIRF) imaging as well as photo thermal therapy (PTT)-enhanced chemotherapy. The synthesized amphiphilic paramagnetic block copolymers demonstrated high relaxivity (r1 = 7.05 mM-1 s-1). The encapsulated DOX could be released by the trigger with near infrared (NIR) light. In vivo imaging confirmed that the paramagnetic NPs could be accumulated effectively at tumor sites. Upon NIR laser irradiation, tumor growth was inhibited by PTT-enhanced chemotherapy. The advantages of the reported system lie in the one-step convergence of multiple functions (i.e., imaging and therapy agents) into one delivery vehicle and the dual modality imaging-guided synergistic PTT and chemotherapy. This study represents a new drug delivery vehicle of paramagnetic NPs for visualized theranostics.