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Nanoparticle-based photothermal ablation (PTA) has been intensively investigated recently. However, the poor biocompatibility of most PTA agents and potential long-term toxicity obstruct their clinical translation. Meanwhile, previous PTA studies are limited to surface tumors because of insufficient light penetration depth of near-infrared (NIR) light for deep abdominal tumors. Therefore, minimally invasive PTA combined with biocompatible agents may pave a promising way to treat deep orthotopic hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Herein, a multifunctional agent based on superparamagnetic iron oxide (SPIO) and new indocyanine green (IR820) was constructed with good biocompatibility. Outstanding fluorescence, photoacoustic and magnetic resonance imaging capabilities were observed in vitro. Additionally, in vivo results indicated that early-stage HCC (diameter less than 2 mm) could be effectively detected by this agent. Furthermore, for the first time, we developed minimally invasive laparoscopic-assisted photothermal ablation (L-A PTA) method coupled with this agent to completely ablate orthotopic HCC in nude mice model, neither recurrences nor obvious side effects were observed during the experiments. Remarkable shrinkage of primary tumor and disappearance of intrahepatic metastasis were also observed. In summary, minimally invasive L-A PTA is an effective preoperative neoadjuvant treatment for HCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, photothermal therapy (PTT) has become viewed as an ideal auxiliary therapeutic treatment for cancers. However, the development of safe, convenient, and highly effective photothermal agents remains a great challenge. In this study, we prepared single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) for PTT against breast tumors under the guidance of infrared fluorescent cyanines. Tumors were accurately located using near-infrared imaging (NIR) and then exposed to laser irradiation. Both the in vivo and in vitro results showed that the SWNTs have high stability and low cytotoxicity. Introducing polyethylene glycol into our nanoparticles increased the blood-circulation time. Our in vivo results further showed that Cy5.5-conjugated SWNTs mediated PTT, resulting in efficient tumor suppression in mice under the guidance of near-infrared imaging. Due to the small amount of absorption at 808-nm, Cy5.5 increased the efficiency of PTT. Breast tumors significantly shrunk after irradiation under the 808-nm near-infrared laser. The treated mice developed scabs, but otherwise recovered after 15 days, and their physical conditions restored gradually. These data indicate that our unique photothermal-responsive SWNT-Cy5.5-based theranostic agent can serve as a promising candidate for PTT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]