Notably, with similar tumor accumulation of ~7.2% ID g−1 at 24 h post-injection in the mice bearing A549-WT or A549-TRPV1 KD tumors (Supplementary Fig. 14), CuS-NCs at the dose of 30.0 μmol kg−1 Cu caused the temperature increases (ΔT) of ~12.8 °C and ~12.6 °C during 5 min at A549-WT and A549-TRPV1 KD tumors under light exposure at 24 h post-injection (Fig. 1h and Supplementary Fig. 15), respectively, indicating that CuS-NCs cause similar hyperthermia at both tumor models. This evidence concerns the gene TRPV1 and neoplasm.