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Updated: Dec 21, 2025
A Bright NIR-II Fluorescence Probe for Vascular and Tumor Imaging
Published on: March 17, 2023
A continuous stimuli-responsive system for NIR-II fluorescence/photoacoustic imaging guided photothermal/gas
Ziliang Zheng1, Qi Chen1, Rong Dai2
1Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan 030001, China and The Affiliated Da Yi Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan 030032, China. zrp_7142@sxmu.edu.cn.
Abstract:
Nanosystems responsive to a tumor microenvironment (TME) have recently attracted great attention due to their potential in precision cancer theranostics. However, theranostic nanosystems with a TME-activated consecutive cascade for the accurate diagnosis and treatment of cancer have rarely been exploited. Herein, an activatable theranostic nanosystem (Bi2S3-Ag2S-DATS@BSA-N3 NYs) is designed and constructed on the basis of a one-pot biomineralization method and surface functional modification to improve second near-infrared (NIR-II) fluorescence/photoacoustic (PA) imaging-guided photothermal therapy (PTT)/gas therapy (GT). Based on enhanced penetration and retention (EPR) effect-mediated tumor accumulation, the tumor-overexpressed glutathione (GSH) can accelerate hydrogen sulfide (H2S) generation from the nanoparticles by reacting with the encapsulated diallyl trisulfide (DATS). Meanwhile, the in situ released H2S can be used not only for gas therapy, but also to start the reduction of -N3(-) to -NH2(+), thereby enhancing the tumor-specific aggregation of NYs. As a result, the activatable nanosystems with excellent tumor accumulation and biodistribution could achieve an accurate NIR-II/PA dual-modality imaging for guiding the synergistic anticancer efficacy (PTT/GT). Thus, this work provides a promising TME-mediated continuously responsive strategy for efficient anticancer therapy.
