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A Bright NIR-II Fluorescence Probe for Vascular and Tumor Imaging
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Engineered rare-earth nanomaterials for fluorescence imaging and therapy
Hongru Wang1,2, Zheng Wei3, Yangyang Zhao4
1Department of Neurology, Liaocheng People's Hospital Liaocheng Shandong 252000 China.
RSC Advances
|September 18, 2023
Summary
New lanthanide-doped upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) offer dual capabilities for brain disease diagnosis and therapy. These UCNPs show promise for advanced treatments and imaging of neurological conditions.
Area of Science:
- Nanotechnology and Biomedical Engineering
- Advanced materials for neurodegenerative diseases and brain tumors
Background:
- Early diagnosis and treatment are crucial for managing brain diseases, but current therapies have limited efficacy and poor prognoses.
- Novel diagnostic and therapeutic strategies are urgently needed to address the challenges in treating brain disorders.
- Near-infrared (NIR)-light-responsive upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) present significant potential for integrated diagnosis and therapy.
Purpose of the Study:
- To synthesize and characterize multifunctional UCNPs for enhanced brain disease diagnosis and treatment.
- To evaluate the efficacy of UCNPs@Au for NIR fluorescence imaging and photothermal therapy of glioma cells.
- To develop a pH-responsive drug/siRNA delivery system using UCNPs for targeted cancer therapy.
Main Methods:
- Synthesis of UCNPs core nanoparticles with surface functionalization, including gold (Au) coating and mesoporous silica shell.
- Preparation of a tannic acid-Al3+ ions (TA-Al) complex as a pH-sensitive gatekeeper for controlled drug release.
- In vitro evaluation of UCNPs@Au for NIR fluorescence imaging and photothermal inhibition of GL261 glioma cells.
- Assessment of pH-triggered doxorubicin/siRNA delivery using the UCNPs-based system.
Main Results:
- UCNPs@Au demonstrated effective NIR fluorescence imaging in brain applications.
- Photothermal properties of UCNPs@Au successfully inhibited the growth of mouse GL261 glioma cells.
- The UCNPs core with a mesoporous silica shell and TA-Al gatekeeper enabled pH-triggered delivery of doxorubicin/siRNA in vitro.
Conclusions:
- Multifunctional UCNPs offer a promising platform for combined diagnosis and therapy of brain diseases.
- The developed UCNPs show potential for applications in neuroimaging and targeted treatment of brain tumors.
- Future research will focus on developing advanced UCNP-based agents for Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and brain tumors.
