MnO-coated porous Pt@CeO core-shell nanostructures for photoacoustic imaging-guided tri-modal cancer therapy.

We describe the synthesis of MnO-coated porous Pt@CeO core-shell nanostructures (Pt@CeO@MnO) as a new theranostic nano-platform. The porous Pt cores endow the core-shell nanostructures with high photothermal conversion efficiency (80%) in the near-infrared region, allowing for photothermal therapy (PTT) and photoacoustic imaging (PA) of tumors. The combination of the Pt core and porous CeO interlayer enhances the separation of photo-generated electrons and holes, which is beneficial for the generation of singlet oxygen. With the porous structures of the cores and interlayers, the Pt@CeO@MnO nanostructures are further loaded with an anti-cancer drug (doxorubicin, DOX). The degradation of the MnO shell in the tumor microenvironment (TME) can generate O for enhanced photodynamic therapy (PDT) and simultaneously trigger DOX release. PA imaging shows good accumulation and retention of DOX-loaded Pt@CeO@MnO in tumors, which guides precise laser irradiation to initiate combined PTT and PDT. The synergistic PTT/PDT/chemotherapy demonstrated by DOX-loaded Pt@CeO@MnO yields remarkable therapeutic outcomes and . Taken together, our DOX-loaded Pt@CeO@MnO provides a new avenue for designing high-performance nano-platforms for imaging and therapeutics.