Nanomaterials promise to revolutionize healthcare and medicine by offering a new generation of diagnostic and therapeutic tools. Both polymer and inorganic nanoparticles have been extensively explored as drug delivery vehicles to develop highly selective and effective therapeutics and diagnostics. The incorporation of inorganic nanoparticles into polymer assemblies can endow the system with new advanced functionalities (e.g. plasmonic and magnetic properties), while preserving the well-established properties of polymeric components. Inspired by self-assembly in nature, we have been devoted to design synthetic polymer-inorganic hybrid compartments that mimic viral capsids from the aspects of such as surface, topography, and mechanical properties. These nanostructures show new or advanced functionalities, such as responsiveness to light and/or magnetic field, encapsulation and controlled release, and biocompatibility and biodegradation. In this talk, I will present the self-assembly of polymer-grafted nanoparticles into a diverse range of complex nanoarchitectures, and the applications of the hybrid materials in effective cancer imaging (e.g., photo-thermal/photoacoustic/MRI imaging) and combination therapy (e.g., photo-thermal/photodynamic/chemo-therapy).

Light/magnetic responsive polymer/inorganic hybrid assemblies for cancer theranostics

249th National Meeting (2015)

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