Carbon dots inspired by structure-inherent targeting for nucleic acid imaging and localized photodynamic therapy

• Published in: Sensors and actuators. B, Chemical Vol. 344; p. 130322
• Main Authors: Xu, Ning, Du, Jianjun, Yao, Qichao, Ge, Haoying, Shi, Chao, Xu, Feng, Xian, Liman, Fan, Jiangli, Peng, Xiaojun
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Lausanne Elsevier B.V 01.10.2021; Elsevier Science Ltd
• Subjects: Acids; Carbon; Carbon dots; Carbon source–carbon dot inheritance strategy; Chemical compounds; Fluorescent indicators; Folic acid; Imaging; Iodine; Nucleic acid imaging; Nucleic acids; Pharmacology; Photodynamic therapy; Quinoline; Structure-inherent targeting; Titration; Tumors; Carbon source–carbon dot inheritance strategy; Photodynamic therapy; Carbon dots; Nucleic acid imaging; Structure-inherent targeting
• ISSN: 0925-4005; 1873-3077
• DOI: 10.1016/j.snb.2021.130322

•Based on structure-inherent targeting characteristics of carbon sources (quinoline derivative), the novel CDs were synthesized for targeting nucleic acids.•The SYTO® RNASelect™ staining, cell digestion experiment and nucleic acid response experiments showed that CDs had good selectivity for RNA.•The I-CDs@FA could actively enrich at tumor sites of mice due to modification of folic acid, thereby effectively inhibiting tumor growth with light irradiation. Targeting capability is one of the most important properties of both imaging and therapeutic agents. The discovery of “structure-inherent targeting” (SIT) phenomena has benefitted the tailored design of fluorescent probes and photodynamic photosensitizers. Herein, SIT was combined with the inheritance of epigenetic characteristics from parent carbon sources to synthesize nucleic acid-targeted carbon dots (CDs) from quinoline derivatives, namely, 1-CDs, Cl-CDs, and I-CDs via a bottom-up strategy. These CDs exhibited RNA-selective fluorescence imaging, as confirmed using cell digestion, SYTO® RNASelect™ costaining, and nucleic acid titration. Furthermore, owing to iodine doping, I-CDs exhibited excellent PDT performance for killing cancer cells in vitro. Importantly, I-CDs could actively target and become enriched at tumor sites using folic acid-functionalized liposomes as tumor-homing vehicles, thus effectively inhibiting tumor growth in vivo. By screening the SIT carbon source, photodynamic CDs can provide a new platform for next-generation nucleic acid-targeting photodynamic therapy.