1. Intracellular Proteolytic Disassembly of Self-Quenched Near-Infrared Nanoparticles Turning Fluorescence on for Tumor-Targeted Imaging.
- Author
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Jiang J, Zhao Z, Hai Z, Wang H, and Liang G
- Subjects
- Animals, Female, Fluorescent Dyes chemical synthesis, HeLa Cells, Humans, Infrared Rays, Mice, Mice, Nude, Neoplasms, Experimental diagnostic imaging, Proteolysis, Spectrometry, Fluorescence, Fluorescence, Fluorescent Dyes chemistry, Nanoparticles chemistry, Optical Imaging, Uterine Cervical Neoplasms diagnostic imaging
- Abstract
The design of tumor-targeting, intracellular protease-activatable near-infrared fluorescence (NIRF) nanoprobes is broadly interesting but remains challenging. In this work, we report the rational design of a NIR probe Cys(StBu)-Lys(Biotin)-Lys-Lys(Cy5.5)-CBT (1) to facilely prepare the self-quenched nanoparticles 1-NPs for tumor-targeted imaging in vitro and in vivo. The biotinylated 1-NPs could be actively uptaken by biotin receptor-overexpressing tumor cells via receptor-mediated endocytosis. Upon intracellular proteolytic cleavage, 1-NPs were disassembled to yield the small molecular probe Lys(Cy5.5)-Luciferin-Lys(Biotin)-Lys-OH (1-D-cleaved), accompanied by fluorescence "Turn-On". With this NIRF "Turn-On" property, 1-NPs were successfully applied for tumor-targeted imaging. We envision that our nanoparticles could be applied for fluorescence-guided tumor surgery in the near future.
- Published
- 2017
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