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Published on: November 10, 2017
Anti-stokes luminescent organic nanoparticles for frequency upconversion biomedical imaging
Guobo Chen1, Yuhao Li1, Jinliang Liu2
1Shanghai Key Laboratory of Molecular Imaging, Jiading District Central Hospital Affiliated Shanghai University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Shanghai University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Shanghai 201318, China; School of Materials and Chemistry, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai 200093, China.
New BODIPY derivatives offer enhanced frequency upconversion optical imaging. These agents show strong luminescence for cell and tumor imaging, advancing biomedical applications.
Area of Science:
- Organic Chemistry
- Biomedical Imaging
- Photophysics
Background:
- Frequency upconversion optical imaging offers advantages over traditional methods but faces development limitations.
- BODIPY derivatives are explored for their potential in advanced imaging techniques.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop novel BODIPY derivatives for frequency upconversion luminescence (FUCL) imaging.
- To investigate the impact of electron-donating and electron-withdrawing groups on FUCL performance.
- To evaluate the suitability of these derivatives for biomedical imaging applications.
Main Methods:
- Synthesis of five BODIPY derivatives (B1-B5) with varying functional groups.
- Characterization of FUCL properties under 635 nm light excitation.
- Assessment of FUCL stability after self-assembly.
- In vitro cell imaging and in vivo tumor imaging studies.
Main Results:
- Four of the five derivatives exhibited strong and stable FUCL around 520 nm.
- Derivative B5 maintained FUCL ability after self-assembly into nanoparticles.
- B5 nanoparticles demonstrated effective cytoplasmic enrichment and good signal-to-noise ratio in cell imaging.
- Successful FUCL tumor imaging was achieved within 1 hour post-injection.
Conclusions:
- Novel BODIPY derivatives show significant promise as FUCL agents for biomedical imaging.
- The design strategy involving electron-donating/withdrawing groups is effective for developing high-performance FUCL agents.
- B5 nanoparticles represent a potential tool for advanced cellular and in vivo imaging.
