FeOOH-loaded mesoporous silica nanoparticles as a theranostic platform with pH-responsive MRI contrast enhancement and drug release

The development of stimuli-responsive theranostic platforms is of great demand for efficient cancer treatment because they can enhance diagnostic specificity and sensitivity. In this work, we report a pH-responsive theranostic nanoplatform based on FeOOH clusters loaded mesoporous silica nanoparticles (Fe@MSNs). The as-synthesized Fe@MSNs possess activatable T (1) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) performance that can respond to the acidic microenvironment of solid tumor to turn on T (1) singals by releasing paramagnetic Fe3+ ions. The Fe@MSNs are biocompatible without appreciable cytotoxicity. Moreover, the unique mesoporous structure endows the Fe@MSNs with significant advantages to effectively deliver chemotherapeutic drug for inhibiting the growth of solid tumor. We believe that this novel pH-responsive theranostic nanoplatform holds great promise in cancer treatment.