Chemical Research in Chinese Universities ›› 2024, Vol. 40 ›› Issue (2): 293-304.doi: 10.1007/s40242-024-3256-9

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Aggregation-induced Emission Probe for Fluorescence/ Photoacoustic Dual-modality Imaging and Photodynamic/Photothermal Treatment

CHEN Peiyu, ZHANG Guoyang, LI Jiguang, MA Lijun, ZHOU Jiaying, ZHU Mingguang, LI Shuo, WANG Zhuo   

  1. State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, College of Chemistry, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, P. R. China
  • Received:2023-11-16 Revised:2023-12-22 Online:2024-04-01 Published:2024-03-27
  • Contact: WANG Zhuo wangzhuo77@mail.buct.edu.cn;LI Shuo 2020400223@mail.buct.edu.cn
  • Supported by:
    This work was supported by the Beijing Natural Science Foundation, China (No. 7232342), the National Key Research and Development Program of China (No. 2021YFC2101500), the Project of Academy of Medical Sciences Newton Advanced Fellowship (No. NAFR13\1015), and the Project of the China Scholarship Council.

Abstract: The combination of near-infrared (NIR) fluorescence imaging (FLI) and photoacoustic imaging (PAI) can effectively compensate for each other's inherent limitations, which can provide reliable and rich information on tumor biology. Therefore, the development of FL/PA dual-modality imaging probes is beneficial for achieving precision cancer diagnosis and treatment. Herein, we designed an efficient phototherapy agent methoxy bithiophene indene (OTIC), which was based on aggregation-induced emission (AIE) active fluorophores. To improve the water dispersion and enrichment of OTIC at the tumor site, OTIC nanoparticles (OTIC NPs) were prepared by a nanoprecipitation method. The balance between radiation and non-radiation energy dissipation was regulated by the strong donor-acceptor interaction and intramolecular motion. So OTIC NPs exhibited bright NIR fluorescence, photoacoustic signals, efficient generation of reactive oxygen species, and high photothermal conversion efficiency under NIR irradiation. Accurate imaging of the tumor and mice sentinel lymph nodes (SLNs) with OTIC NPs was visualized by NIR FL/PA dual-modal imaging. With the comprehensive imaging information provided by OTIC NPs in vivo, tumors were ablated under laser irradiation, which greatly improved the therapeutic efficacy. OTIC NPs would be possible to realize the precise guidance of FL/PA imaging for tumor treatment in the future clinical application.

Key words: Aggregation-induced emission, Dual-modality imaging, Photodynamic/photothermal treatment