Carbonic anhydrase inhibitor-decorated semiconducting oligomer nanoparticles for active-targeting NIR-II fluorescence...

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Materials Science
• Optical Imaging

Background:

• Second near-infrared window (NIR-II) fluorescence imaging offers superior resolution and penetration depth for bioimaging.
• Semiconducting oligomers (SOs) are promising NIR-II probes due to high photostability and quantum yield.
• Targeted imaging agents are crucial for improving diagnostic accuracy in oncology.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design and evaluate a novel semiconducting oligomer nanoparticle (ASONi) for targeted NIR-II fluorescence imaging of breast tumors.
• To investigate the enhanced tumor targeting and imaging capabilities of ASONi compared to non-targeted counterparts.
• To assess the potential of ASONi for early and accurate tumor visualization.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis of azido-functionalized semiconducting oligomer (SO) as the NIR-II emitter.
• Functionalization of SO with benzene sulfonamide-ended DSPE-PEG (DSPE-PEG-CAi) to create ASONi nanoparticles.
• In vitro evaluation of cellular uptake in MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells.
• In vivo studies to assess tumor accumulation and NIR-II fluorescence imaging in a breast tumor model.

Main Results:

• ASONi nanoparticles demonstrated enhanced uptake (1.4-fold) in MDA-MB-231 cells compared to non-targeted SOs.
• ASONi exhibited significantly higher accumulation (1.5-fold) in breast tumors after intravenous injection.
• Clear NIR-II fluorescence signals from tumors were observed within 4 hours, confirming effective imaging.

Conclusions:

• The developed ASONi nanoparticle exhibits active tumor targeting capabilities due to surface functionalization.
• ASONi serves as an effective NIR-II fluorescence imaging agent for breast tumors.
• This targeted nanoparticle holds significant potential for advancing preclinical tumor imaging and diagnostics.