Novel multifunctional theranostic nanoagents based on Ho3+ for CT/MRI dual-modality imaging-guided photothermal therapy

Because of the intrinsic defects of traditional treatment of cancer, it is quite needed to construct novel theranostic nanoagents that can not only improve the accuracy of imaging diagnosis but also achieve highly efficient therapy of cancer. Herein, we fabricated polydopamine-functionalized ammonium holmium fluoride nanocomposites (AHF@PDA) for dual-modality bioimaging (magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT)) owing to the high X-ray attenuation feature and magnetic property of Ho3+. Moreover, PDA shell endows AHF@PDA with excellent photothermal conversion performances and robust biocompatibility, leading to good treatment effect in vitro and in vivo. All above positive results certify that AHF@PDA have good potential as theranostic agents for clinical application in the future.