Figure 1.

Overview of the multifaceted imaging and therapeutic capabilities of nanotheranostics. While nanotheranostics are composed of nanoparticle (NP), imaging labels, and therapeutic agents, the three components may overlap and NPs alone may function as imaging and therapeutic agents. Upon attaching a targeting moiety to enable active targeting to tumor, they, at the tumor site, could generate imaging contrast in a variety of imaging modalities, meanwhile release drug in a controlled manner, facilitate radiotherapy, photothermal, photodynamic, hyperthermia, etc. Therefore, nanotheranostics are extremely versatile in guiding its targeted therapy prior to efficient treatment of cancer.