A unique polarity-sensitive photothermal sensitizer revealing down-regulated mitochondrial polarity during photo-induced cell death
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Published on: July 17, 2018
Chuang Liu1, Minggang Tian1, Weiying Lin1
1Institute of Fluorescent Probes for Biological Imaging, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, School of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Jinan, Jinan, Shandong 250022, P. R. China. weiyinglin2013@163.com.
Abstract:
Photothermal therapy (PTT) is a highly selective and non-invasive method to remove tumor tissues, and a promising potential method to combat cancer in the near future. However, the physical changes inside cells during photo-induced cell death have not been studied yet, due to the lack of proper tools. In this work, a polarity-sensitive PTT sensitizer was fabricated for the first time, to investigate the intracellular polarity change during photo-induced cell death. The probe targets mitochondria in live cells and can detect the polarity change induced by the addition of cholesterol in a ratiometric manner. The cell viability of live Hepg2 cells pre-incubated with the probe could be dramatically decreased after laser irradiation within 5 min. The down-regulated mitochondrial polarity during photo-induced cell death was successfully revealed by using the probe.
Insights
Researchers developed a novel probe to visualize cellular changes during photothermal therapy (PTT). This tool revealed decreased mitochondrial polarity during PTT-induced cancer cell death, advancing PTT research.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Molecular Imaging
- Cancer Therapy
Background:
- Photothermal therapy (PTT) offers a non-invasive approach for tumor destruction.
- Understanding intracellular physical changes during PTT-induced cell death is crucial but limited by current tools.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a novel polarity-sensitive probe for real-time monitoring of intracellular changes during PTT.
- To investigate the specific changes in mitochondrial polarity during photo-induced cell death.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of a first-of-its-kind polarity-sensitive photothermal therapy (PTT) sensitizer.
- Utilizing the probe to target mitochondria in live Hepg2 cells.
- Monitoring ratiometric polarity changes in response to cholesterol and laser irradiation.
Main Results:
- The developed probe successfully targeted mitochondria and detected polarity changes.
- Significant decrease in Hepg2 cell viability was observed within 5 minutes of laser irradiation.
- Down-regulated mitochondrial polarity was successfully visualized during photo-induced cell death.
Conclusions:
- The novel probe enables the investigation of intracellular polarity dynamics during PTT.
- This study provides new insights into the physical mechanisms of PTT-induced cell death.
- The developed probe is a valuable tool for advancing photothermal cancer therapy research.
