pH/Reduction Dual Stimuli-Triggered Self-Assembly of NIR Theranostic Probes for Enhanced Dual-Modal Imaging and Photothermal Therapy of Tumors

• Published in: Analytical chemistry (Washington) Vol. 92; no. 24; pp. 16113 - 16121
• Main Authors: Wang, Anna, Mao, Qiulian, Zhao, Meng, Ye, Shuyue, Fang, Jing, Cui, Chaoxiang, Zhao, Yan, Zhang, Yuqi, Zhang, Yu, Zhou, Feng, Shi, Haibin
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States American Chemical Society 15.12.2020
• Subjects: analytical chemistry; Animals; Cell Line, Tumor; Chemistry; condensation reactions; Diagnostic Imaging - methods; Glutathione; Glutathione - metabolism; Humans; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; Infrared Rays; Medical imaging; Metastases; metastasis; Mice; Molecular Probes - chemistry; Molecular Probes - metabolism; neoplasms; pH effects; Photoacoustic Techniques; Photothermal Therapy - methods; photothermotherapy; Precision medicine; Self-assembly; Stimuli; Tumor Microenvironment; Tumors
• ISSN: 0003-2700; 1520-6882; 1520-6882
• DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.0c03800

Tumor microenvironment plays a pivotal role in the growth and metastasis of tumors, and has become a promising target for precise diagnosis and treatment of tumors. Herein, a novel smart NIR theranostic probe Cy-1 that can simultaneously respond to low intracellular pH and reductive glutathione (GSH) is reported. This probe has demonstrated to be able to intermolecularly undergo a biologically compatible CBT-Cys condensation reaction to selectively form large nanoaggregates in the tumor microenvironment resulting in its enhanced accumulation and retention in the tumor, which as a consequence significantly improves the sensitivity of NIR/photoacoustic imaging and photothermal therapeutic efficacy of tumors in living mice. We thus believe that this dual stimuli-mediated self-assembly strategy may offer a promising and universal platform for cancer theranostics.