A biocompatible polyurethane fluorescent emulsion with aggregation-induced emission for targeted tumor imaging

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Nanotechnology
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Fluorescence imaging is crucial for tumor detection and resection.
• Developing highly sensitive and selective biocompatible fluorescent nanoparticles remains a challenge.
• Ligand-mediated nanoparticle targeting enhances tumor imaging efficiency.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize a novel fluorescent emulsion for targeted tumor imaging.
• To investigate the properties and efficacy of the PTP emulsion in cancer detection.

Main Methods:

• Synthesized a polyurethane-based fluorescent emulsion (PTP) incorporating tetraphenyl ethylene (TPE) and phenylboronic acid (PBA).
• Utilized aggregation-induced emission (AIE) properties for enhanced fluorescence.
• Evaluated nanoparticle size, stability, fluorescence sensitivity, and targeting capabilities via sialic acid (SA) recognition.

Main Results:

• The PTP emulsion (size < 50 nm) demonstrated excellent stability and high fluorescence sensitivity.
• Phenylboronic acid (PBA) enabled selective binding to overexpressed sialic acid (SA) on tumor cells.
• Nanoparticles showed enhanced tumor enrichment and retention due to EPR effect and active targeting.

Conclusions:

• The PTP emulsion exhibits promising biocompatibility and biosafety.
• This novel fluorescent emulsion holds potential for advanced tumor cell imaging applications.