Aggregation Induced Emission Mediated Controlled Release by Using a Built-In Functionalized Nanocluster with...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Nanotechnology
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Aggregation-induced emission (AIE) materials offer unique optical properties.
• Developing effective nanoparticle delivery systems for cancer therapy remains a challenge.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate a novel AIE nanoparticle delivery system for cancer treatment.
• To investigate the sequential delivery and drug release mechanism.
• To establish the first AIE theranostic system for in vivo application.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis and characterization of 1,1,2-triphenyl-2-(p-hydroxyphenyl)-ethene (TPE-OH) based nanoparticles.
• Evaluation of AIE properties in different media and cellular uptake mechanisms.
• Assessment of apoptosis induction in various cancer cell lines.
• In vivo studies using an animal model for drug targeting and release.

Main Results:

• TPE-OH nanoparticles exhibited tunable AIE characteristics, with luminescence observed in aqueous media.
• The system demonstrated a novel membrane-cytoplasm-nucleus sequential delivery strategy.
• Apoptosis was induced in four cancer cell types, with distinct cytoplasmic and nuclear luminescence.
• Energy-dependent endocytosis was confirmed, and the first AIE theranostic system was developed and tested in vivo.

Conclusions:

• The TPE-OH based AIE nanoparticles represent a promising theranostic platform for cancer therapy.
• The developed system enables targeted drug delivery, controlled release, and real-time monitoring.
• This work paves the way for advanced AIE-based nanomedicine applications.