Theranostic Phthalocyanine and Naphthalocyanine Nanoparticles for Photoacoustic Imaging and Photothermal Therapy of Tumors.

Phthalocyanine (PC) and naphthalocyanine (NC) dyes have long garnered interest as theranostic agents for optical imaging and phototherapy due to their near-infrared absorbance, photostability, imaging contrast, and proven safety in clinical trials. Yet, only a small fraction of these dyes has been evaluated as photothermal therapy (PTT) agents for cancer treatment. Nearly 40 distinct NC and PC dyes were encapsulated within polymeric PEG-PCL micelles via oil-in-water emulsions.