Theranostic nanosensitizers for highly efficient MR/fluorescence imaging-guided sonodynamic therapy of gliomas.

Glioma is the most frequent primary brain tumour of the central nervous system. Its high aggressiveness and deep-seated brain lesion make it a great challenge to develop a non-invasive, precise and effective treatment approach. Here, we report a multifunctional theranostic agent that can integrate imaging and therapy into a single nano-platform for imaging-guided sonodynamic therapy (SDT). The SDT agents were fabricated by encapsulation of sinoporphyrin sodium (DVDMS) chelating with manganese ions into nanoliposomes (DVDMS-Mn-LPs). DVDMS-Mn-LPs are physiologically stable and biologically compatible, and they can produce singlet oxygen upon ultrasound irradiation to kill cancer cells. Both cell and animal studies demonstrated that SDT with DVDMS-Mn-LPs can significantly improve the antitumour growth efficiency even in the presence of skull. In addition, DVDMS-Mn-LPs are good for MR and fluorescence imaging. Thus, DVDMS-Mn-LPs reported here may provide a promising strategy for imaging-guided modality for glioma treatment.