In vivo efficacy of verteporfin loaded gold nanorods for combined photothermal/photodynamic colon cancer therapy

•Combined photothermal/photodynamic therapy could improve cancer treatment efficacy.•Natural coatings allow gold nanorods (AuNRs) in vivo administration.•Verteporfin is an intriguing agent for the photodynamic therapy of colon cancer.•Drug-free AuNRs decelerate colon cancer growth via photothermal therapy.•Verteporfin-AuNRs eradicate colon cancer through photothermal/photodynamic therapy.