magnetic resonance imaging, fluorescence, and drug release properties of curcumin-loaded pegylated magnetite@graphene quantum dots nanocomposite

Background: multifunctional nanosystems, containing medical imaging components and cancer therapeutic drugs, can provide early cancer diagnosis and treatment.objective: the aim of this study was to investigate magnetic resonance imaging (mri), anticancer drug delivery, and fluorescence properties of curcumin-loaded pegylated magnetite@graphene quantum dots nanocomposite.material and methods: in this experimental study, pegylated magnetite@graphene quantum dots (fe3o4@gqds-peg) nanocomposite was synthesized and loaded with curcumin (cur-fe3o4@gqds-peg). then, the size, shape, magnetic property, mri r2 relaxivity, drug loading and in vitro release, and fluorescence property of the nanocomposite were investigated. evaluation of the cell toxicity against mcf-7 cells was performed for both unloaded and curcumin-loaded nanocomposites.results: the superparamagnetic nanocomposite showed high r2 relaxivity, drug release, and fluorescence property. the curcumin-loaded nanocomposite was significantly toxic to the breast cancer cell line at high concentrations.  conclusion: cur-fe3o4@gqds-peg nanocomposite can be considered an anticancer drug carrier and an appropriate potential candidate for dual modal mri and fluorescence imaging.