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.