Abstract: A nanosample capable of near-infrared light-triggered release of therapeutic molecules. The nanosample includes a plurality of nanocomplexes. Each of the nanocomplexes includes a nanoshell; a host molecule linked to the nanoshell; and a guest molecule linked to the host molecule. The nanoshell includes a shell. The nanocomplex has a plasmon resonance wavelength. When irradiated with electromagnetic radiation of the plasmon resonance wavelength, plasmon resonance of the nanocomplex releases the guest molecule. The nanoshell may also include a core, where the shell surrounds the core. The nanoshell may be a nanomatryoshka. A link between the nanoshell and the host molecule may be a gold-thiol interaction. The shell may include at least one metal, such as gold or silver. The core may be a liposome and/or silica. The host molecule may be: synthetic polymers, biopolymers, polynucleotides, nucleic acids, polypeptides, polysaccharides, polyterpenes, lipids, aptamers, and/or proteins.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a panel of metabolite species that is useful for forecasting the outcome of preoperative chemotherapy for the treatment of breast cancer, including methods for identifying and using such metabolite species that can be measured in biological samples taken before treatment. In preferred embodiments, a method of forecasting a treatment outcome before subjecting a breast cancer patient to preoperative chemotherapy is disclosed that includes measuring the concentration of at least one metabolite species in a sample of a biofluid taken from the breast cancer patient before preoperative chemotherapy treatment.