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Judicious combination of fluorescence and magnetic properties along with ample drug loading capacity and control release property remains a key challenge in the design of nanotheranostic agents. This paper reports the synthesis of highly hydrophilic optically traceable mesoporous carbon nanospheres which can sustain payloads of the anticancer drug doxorubicin and T2 contrast agent such as cobalt ferrite nanoparticles. The luminescent magnetic hybrid system has been prepared on a mesoporous silica template using a resorcinol-formaldehyde precursor. The mesoporous matrix shows controlled release of the aromatic drug doxorubicin due to disruption of supramolecular π-π interaction at acidic pH. The particles show MR contrast behavior by affecting the proton relaxation with transverse relaxivity (r2) 380 mM(-1) S(-1). The multicolored emission and upconversion luminescence property of our sample are advantageous in bioimaging. In vitro cell experiments shows that the hybrid nanoparticles are endocyted by the tumor cells through passive targeting. The pH-responsive release of doxorubicin presents chemotherapeutic inhibition of cell growth through induction of apoptosis.

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The development of theranostic mesoporous hollow silica nanospheres having therapeutic and diagnostic functions has been achieved. The exterior surface of the hollow mesoporous silica nanosphere was selectively acid functionalized and utilised to conjugate the anticancer drug cisplatin, the marker molecule folic acid (FA), and rhodamine isothiocyanate (RITC), whereas the interior space was utilised to encapsulate superparamagnetic CoFe2O4 nanoparticles as well as the hydrophobic anticancer drug pemetrexed. The hydrodynamic size of the synthesized multidrug loaded hollow particles is 130 nm in physiological pH and it is consistent over a long period. To the best of our knowledge this is the first report on fluorescent magnetic hollow spheres loaded with multiple therapeutic cargoes as well as a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agent. The as prepared hollow spheres are biocompatible. The internalization efficiency of the drug loaded particle has been evaluated on folate receptor overexpressed (FR+ve) HeLa, FR-ve HaCat and 3T3 cells. These drug loaded nanospheres exhibit enhanced cytotoxicity as compared to individual drugs. Such a strategy in the simultaneous administration of pemetrexed and platin drugs may open up opportunities for the treatment of lung cancer at its early stage.