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Dual-Functional AIE Fluorescent Probe for Visualization of Lipid Droplets and Photodynamic Therapy of Cancer
Shizeng Pei1,2, Haoyang Li1, Linfeng Chen2
1School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shanxi University, Taiyuan 030006, China.
Analytical Chemistry
|March 28, 2024
Summary
This study introduces TDTI, a novel fluorescent probe targeting lipid droplets (LDs) for cancer diagnosis and treatment. TDTI enables simultaneous LD visualization and photodynamic therapy (PDT), offering a dual approach for integrated cancer care.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Chemical Biology
- Cancer Research
Background:
- Abnormal lipid droplets (LDs) are linked to cancer development and serve as potential cancer biomarkers.
- Aggregation-induced emission luminogens (AIEgens) are effective photosensitizers for photodynamic therapy (PDT) and imaging due to their reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation.
- There is a need for dual-functional probes that can monitor LDs and guide PDT for integrated cancer diagnosis and treatment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and evaluate a novel dual-functional fluorescent probe (TDTI) with aggregation-induced emission (AIE) characteristics for lipid droplet (LD) targeting.
- To assess TDTI's capability for simultaneous LD monitoring and imaging-guided photodynamic therapy (PDT) for cancer diagnosis and treatment.
- To investigate TDTI's potential for integrated cancer diagnosis and therapy.
Main Methods:
- Synthesis and characterization of the AIE-active fluorescent probe TDTI.
- Evaluation of TDTI's specificity for targeting lipid droplets (LDs) in vitro and in vivo.
- Assessment of TDTI's photodynamic therapy (PDT) efficacy, including ROS generation and cancer cell apoptosis induction.
- In vivo antitumor effect evaluation of TDTI in a tumor-bearing mice model.
Main Results:
- TDTI demonstrated typical AIE characteristics and excellent photostability.
- TDTI specifically targeted LDs, enabling dynamic tracking in living cells and imaging in zebrafish.
- TDTI facilitated differentiation between cancer and normal cells for diagnosis.
- TDTI exhibited rapid ROS generation under white light irradiation.
- TDTI effectively induced HeLa cell apoptosis and demonstrated antitumor effects in vivo.
Conclusions:
- The developed TDTI probe possesses high specificity for LDs and AIE properties.
- TDTI enables simultaneous LD visualization for cancer diagnosis and PDT for cancer treatment.
- TDTI shows significant potential for integrated cancer diagnosis and therapy.
