LAUSR

Abstract The clinical outcome of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitors is limited by the ambiguous molecular subtypes of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients and the emergence of drug-resistance. Here, a nanotheranostic agent ECMI, which is indocyanine green (ICG)-loaded mesoporous silica nanoparticles lidded with ZnO QDs and wrapped with erlotinib-modified chitosan, was developed for accurately determination of molecular subtypes and synergistic therapy. The erlotinib could guide ECMI into EGFR-mutated NSCLC cells and acquire a pH/redox dual-responsive release of ICG for precise fluorescent imaging. The ECMI could exert synergistic photodynamic/molecular targeted therapeutic effects under near-infrared irradiation in either erlotinib-sensitive or erlotinib-resistant EGFR-mutated NSCLC cells. In vivo experiments further showed that ECMI had distinct distribution behaviors in different NSCLC models and demonstrated synergistic anticancer effects. These results indicated that ECMI could be a promising nanotheranostic agent to treat EGFR-mutated NSCLC, and could provide a new perspective for individualized treatment.