Biocompatible magnetic hydroxyapatite Fe3O4-HAp nanocomposites for T1-magnetic resonance imaging guided photothermal therapy of breast cancer

Theranostic nanomedicine designs integrating diagnostic and therapeutic paradigms have been achieving considerable success at clinics. However, the toxicity of nanocomposites in these designs remains a major obstacle to the success of personalized medicine. Herein, highly biocompatible iron and hydroxyapatite materials were selected to design a Fe 3 O 4 -HAp nano-theranostic system with controlled dimensions using simple solvothermal synthesis. The biocompatibility of Fe 3 O 4 -HAp magnetic hydroxyapatite nanocomposites (MHNCs) was further enhanced by Food and Drug Administration- (FDA-) approved triblock copolymers, namely, Pluronic® F-127. Indeed, polymer modification improved the drug encapsulation capacity of HAp, and 70% anti-TROP 2 was loaded onto the surface of MHNCs for intracellular targeting of breast cancer. The Fe 3 O 4 component of MHNCs possessed a high T 1 -MR imaging enhancement feature with an excellent r 1 value, demonstrating these MHNCs as capable substitutes for Gd-based toxic contrast agents. Moreover, indocyanine green (ICG-) coupled-MHNCs revealed strong absorption in the near-infrared region and produced enough temperature (75 °C), even at low (50 ug/mL) concentrations, to ablate cancerous cells upon 808 laser irradiation to induce cell toxicity and apoptosis. The promising diagnostic and photothermal therapeutic performance of these designed MHNCs make them an ideal nano-theranostic agent.