Cooperative Nanoparticles for Tumor Detection and Photothermally Triggered Drug Delivery

A cooperative nanosystem consisting of two distinct nanomaterials works in vivo to detect tumor tissues and deliver drugs to the site. Gold nanorods (GNRs) localize to the tumor region, where they report their location and convert near-infrared radiation to thermal energy. Circulating thermally labile therapeutic liposomes respond to the thermal signal, releasing their drug payload selectively in the GNR-populated tumor.