X-ray CT guided fault-free photothermal ablation of metastatic lymph nodes with ultrafine HER-2 targeting W18O49 nanoparticles.

Designing high accuracy in the diagnosing and fault-freely eliminating lymphatic metastasis of breast malignancy, to avoid the invasiveness and complications caused by traditional assays, is of great therapeutic importance. To this end, theranostic W18O49 nanoparticles targeting to human epidermal growth receptor 2 (HER-2) over-expressed breast malignancy were synthesized via polyol method. By taking advantage of their high X-ray attenuating and photothermotherapy potency, lymph nodes in the mice bearing HER-2 positive metastasis could be clearly distinguished under CT guidance and selectively eliminated by laser ablation. The therapeutic efficacy was further confirmed by the significantly extended survival period. These finding evidenced the potential of these nanoparticles for imaging guided photothermal ablation of HER-2 positive breast malignancy.