A Hypoxia-Activated Prodrug Conjugated with a BODIPY-Based Photothermal Agent for Imaging-Guided Chemo-Photothermal Combination Therapy.

Hypoxia-activated prodrugs (HAPs) have drawn increasing attention for improving the antitumor effects while minimizing side effects. However, the heterogeneous distribution of the hypoxic region in tumors severely impedes the curative effect of HAPs. Additionally, most HAPs are not amenable to optical imaging, and it is difficult to precisely trace them in tissues.