Multifunctional nanoplatforms that are safe and have multiple therapeutic functions together with imaging capabilities are highly demanded in the development of new
cancer theranostic approaches. A number of near-infrared (NIR)-absorbing inorganic nanomaterials, although having shown great promise not only to photothermally ablate
tumors but also to enhance the efficacy of other types of
therapies, are not biodegradable and would be retained in the body for a long time. Herein, we develop a multifunctional nanocomposite by coating magnetic
iron oxide nanoclusters with a near-infrared light-absorbing
polymer polypyrrole (PPy), obtaining Fe3O4@PPy core-shell nanoparticles, which after functionalization with
polyethylene glycol could be used for imaging-guided, remotely controlled
cancer combination
therapy. In this system, the Fe3O4 core, which could be gradually decomposed in physiological environments, is useful for magnetically controlled
drug delivery as well as a magnetic resonance imaging contrast. The PPy shell, as an organic
polymer, is able to load therapeutic molecules with aromatic structures and also exhibits a strong photothermal effect, which can be used to enhance the chemotherapeutic efficacy, showing an outstanding in vivo synergistic antitumor effect. Our work encourages further exploration of light-absorbing
polymer-based nanocomposites for
cancer combination
therapy under remote physical controls.