A triarylboron-based fluorescent probe with activatable photosensitivity for imaging mitoDNA

Area of Science:

• Biochemistry
• Molecular Biology
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Accurate differentiation between tumor and normal cells is crucial for cancer diagnosis and treatment.
• Mitochondrial DNA (mitoDNA) is a potential target for cancer diagnostics and therapeutics.
• Fluorescent probes offer sensitive and selective detection methods.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize and evaluate novel triaryboron (TAB)-based fluorescent probes for selective mitoDNA imaging.
• To assess the probes' potential for distinguishing tumor cells from normal cells.
• To explore the application of these probes in cancer diagnosis and photodynamic therapy.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis of two TAB-based fluorescent probes, TAB-6-B and TAB-4-B, with cationic pyridine groups.
• Evaluation of probe fluorescence response to DNA, including selectivity and binding affinity.
• Assessment of probe localization in mitochondria and its effect on tumor cells under visible light irradiation.

Main Results:

• Both probes showed fluorescence enhancement with DNA; TAB-4-B demonstrated higher selectivity and sensitivity to longer DNA strands.
• TAB-4-B's photosensitivity was enhanced by DNA, enabling DNA damage induction via reactive oxygen species.
• TAB-4-B exhibited stronger fluorescence in tumor cells than normal cells, facilitating differentiation.
• TAB-4-B localized to mitochondria and induced tumor cell apoptosis under low-intensity visible light.

Conclusions:

• TAB-4-B is a promising fluorescent probe for selective mitoDNA imaging and distinguishing tumor cells from normal cells.
• TAB-4-B can be utilized for cancer diagnosis and guiding photodynamic therapy due to its ability to induce tumor cell apoptosis.
• The developed probes offer a potential advancement in sensitive and quantitative cancer detection and treatment strategies.