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Updated: Mar 19, 2026
Near Infrared Photoimmunotherapy for Mouse Models of Pleural Dissemination
Published on: February 9, 2021
Chair-Shaped Indoline Donor Enabling Near-Infrared Imaging-Guided Type I Photodynamic Therapy
Guofeng Yi1, Qiqi Xu1, Haodong Liu2
1Key Laboratory for Advanced Materials and Joint International Research Laboratory of Precision Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Feringa Nobel Prize Scientist Joint Research Center, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Functional Materials Chemistry, Institute of Fine Chemicals, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, P. R. China.
Abstract:
Imaging-guided photodynamic therapy (PDT) represents a promising treatment modality owing to its high precision and minimal invasiveness. However, insufficient oxygen supply within solid tumors and aggregation-caused quenching (ACQ) of photosensitizers (PSs) limit the clinical application of imaging-guided PDT. Herein, we developed a type I reactive oxygen species (ROS) predominant photosensitizer (IDL-CPy) based on a unique chair-shaped ultra-strong electron donor indoline with aggregation-induced emission (AIE) characteristics, enabling imaging-guided type I PDT. The electron-rich indoline structure enhances intramolecular charge transfer, which narrows the singlet-triplet energy gap, thereby facilitating type I ROS generation. Theoretical and experimental analyses demonstrate that IDL-CPy exhibits an ideal intersystem crossing rate and triplet excited state lifetime for generating ROS, contributing to potent anticancer efficacy in vitro (IC50 = 0.34 μM). This research represents the first indoline-based AIE photosensitizers and provides a promising candidate for imaging-guided type I PDT.
