HEFEI, June 11 (Xinhua) -- Chinese scientists have developed a drug-free theranostic agent that can be a good replacement for traditional chemotherapeutics in cancer treatment.

The agent was jointly developed by researchers with Hefei Institutes of Physical Science and Shanghai Jiao Tong University.

The agent can also be a promising candidate for the visualization therapy of tumors by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), according to researchers.

Due to high prices and severe side effects, traditional chemotherapeutic drugs are limited in clinical application. Drug-free therapeutic agents with low cost and less side effect are in high demand for cancer treatment.

Researchers said they have integrated chemical dynamic therapy with limotherapy and tumor-specific MRI to develop a nano-platform, which can be helpful in cancer treatment and also monitor its progress with the help of MRI.

The finding has been published in Biomaterials, an international journal on the science and clinical application of biomaterials.