A New Co‐P Nanocomposite with Ultrahigh Relaxivity for In Vivo Magnetic Resonance Imaging‐Guided Tumor Eradication by Chemo/Photothermal Synergistic Therapy

Design of new nanoagents that intrinsically have both diagnostic imaging and therapeutic capabilities is highly desirable for personalized medicine. In this work, a novel nanotheranostic agent is fabricated based on polydopamine (PDA)‐functionalized Co‐P nanocomposites (Co‐P@PDA) for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)‐guided combined photothermal therapy and chemotherapy. The ultrahigh relaxivity of 224.61 m m −1 s −1 can enable Co‐P@PDA to be applied as an excellent contrast agent for MRI in vitro and in vivo, providing essential and comprehensive information for tumor clinical diagnosis. Moreover, Co‐P@PDA exhibit excellent photothermal performance owing to the strong near‐infrared (NIR) absorbance of both Co‐P nanocomposite and PDA. Highly effective ablation of tumors is achieved in a murine tumor model because the NIR laser not only induces photothermal effects but also triggers the chemotherapeutic drug on‐demand release, which endows the Co‐P@PDA with high curative effects but little toxicity and few side effects. These findings demonstrate that Co‐P@PDA are promising agents for highly effective and precise antitumor treatment and warrant exploration as novel theranostic nanoagents with good potential for future clinical translation.