Gao et al. prepared uPAR-targeted PEGylated theranostic NPs (ATF-PEG-IONPs), and detected threefold higher intratumour accumulation (i.p. injection) than i.v. delivery; the IONPs were detected with NIR-830 labelling using noninvasive optical and MRI in an orthotopic pancreatic cancer model. This evidence concerns the gene PLAUR and pancreatic neoplasm.