A Highly Photostable Hyperbranched Polyglycerol-Based NIR Fluorescence Nanoplatform for Mitochondria-Specific Cell...

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Materials Science
• Cell Biology

Background:

• Mitochondria are crucial for cellular life and death, necessitating effective long-term tracking methods.
• Existing mitochondria-specific probes lack sufficient photostability for prolonged observation.
• Development of advanced imaging probes is essential for understanding mitochondrial dynamics and disease progression.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a highly photostable, mitochondria-specific nanoplatform for non-invasive, long-term cell imaging.
• To create a probe capable of enhanced cellular uptake and selective targeting of mitochondria.
• To evaluate the probe's performance against commercial dyes and its potential in theranostics.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis of near-infrared (NIR) quantum dots (QDs) encapsulated within a hyperbranched polyglycerol (hPG) shell functionalized with alkyl chains (C12) and triphenylphosphonium (TPP).
• Characterization of the nanoprobe's size, fluorescence properties, stability, and biocompatibility.
• Assessment of cellular uptake and mitochondria-targeting specificity in HeLa cells using co-localization studies.
• Evaluation of photostability under continuous laser irradiation and in vitro therapeutic efficacy of drug-loaded nanoprobes.

Main Results:

• The developed QDs@hPG-C12 /TPP nanoprobe exhibits NIR fluorescence, excellent biocompatibility, and good stability.
• The probe demonstrates significantly enhanced uptake in HeLa cells and selectively targets mitochondria.
• QDs@hPG-C12 /TPP shows superior photostability compared to commercial deep-red mitochondria dyes.
• Drug-loaded nanoprobes exhibited enhanced tumor cell killing efficacy.

Conclusions:

• The novel hPG-based QD nanoplatform is a highly photostable and effective tool for mitochondria-specific imaging and long-term tracking.
• This nanoplatform holds significant potential for precise diagnosis and high-efficiency tumor therapy.
• The study paves the way for developing multifunctional organelle-targeted nanoplatforms.