Conjugated polymer nanoparticles for cell membrane imaging

Abstract

The outstanding optical properties and biocompatibility of fluorescent conjugated polymer nanoparticles (CPNs) make them favorable for bioimaging application. However, few CPNs could achieve stable cell membrane labeling due to cell endocytosis. In this work, conjugated polymer nanoparticles (PFPNP-PLE) encapsulated with PFP and PLGA-PEG-N3 in the matrix and functionalized with the small-molecule drug plerixafor (PLE) on the surface were prepared by a mini-emulsion method. PFPNP-PLE exhibits excellent photophysical properties, low cytotoxicity, and specific cytomembrane location, which makes it a potential cell membrane labeling reagent with blue fluorescence emission, an important component for multilabel/multicolor bioimaging.

Keywords: cell membrane imaging; conjugated polymers; fluorescence; nanoparticles; plerixafor.