Advanced Rhodamine-based nanotheranostics for Near-infrared Fluorescence Imaging-guided Cancer Phototherapy

Phototherapy faces inherent limitations related to the shallow penetration depths of visible-light wavelengths, restricting its and therapeutic effectiveness for solid tumors. To overcome this issue, a novel nanoplatform (named LET-14@HSA) was developed through the assembly of human serum albumin (HSA) with a near-infrared (NIR) dye (LET-14), integrating NIRfluorescence (NIRF) imaging capabilities with phototherapy. HSA serves as a biocompatible carrier that stabilizes the hydrophobic LET-14 dye to improve its bioavailability and phototherapeutic performance. The LET-14@HSA exhibits strong absorption and imaging contrast within the NIR region, significantly improving tissue penetration and therapeutic depth. This enhanced NIR-triggered phototherapy not only enables real-time NIRF imaging monitoring in vivo but also achieves effective tumor ablation. Thus, our developed nanoplatform establishes a novel paradigm for NIRFimaging-guided phototherapy, offering an effective approach that addresses the penetration limitations of conventional phototherapy.