A hypochlorite-activated strategy for realizing fluorescence turn-on, type I and type II ROS-combined photodynamic tumor ablation

Tonghui Huang; Heng Ji; Shirong Yan; Yifan Zuo; Jie Li; Jacky W Y Lam; Cuiping Han; Ben Zhong Tang

doi:10.1016/j.biomaterials.2023.122108

A hypochlorite-activated strategy for realizing fluorescence turn-on, type I and type II ROS-combined photodynamic tumor ablation

Biomaterials. 2023 Jun:297:122108. doi: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2023.122108. Epub 2023 Apr 4.

Authors

Tonghui Huang¹, Heng Ji¹, Shirong Yan¹, Yifan Zuo¹, Jie Li², Jacky W Y Lam³, Cuiping Han⁴, Ben Zhong Tang⁵

Affiliations

¹ School of Pharmacy, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221004, China.
² School of Medical Imaging, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221004, China.
³ The Hong Kong Branch of Chinese National Engineering Research Center for Tissue Restoration and Reconstruction, Department of Chemistry, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Kowloon, Hong Kong, 999077, China.
⁴ School of Medical Imaging, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221004, China. Electronic address: hancp@xzhumu.edu.cn.
⁵ The Hong Kong Branch of Chinese National Engineering Research Center for Tissue Restoration and Reconstruction, Department of Chemistry, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Kowloon, Hong Kong, 999077, China; School of Science and Engineering, Shenzhen Institute of Aggregate Science and Technology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, 518172, China. Electronic address: tangbenz@cuhk.edu.cn.

PMID: 37037180
DOI: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2023.122108

Abstract

The combination of cancer cell-activated fluorescence and the advantages of both type I and type II photodynamic therapy (PDT) capabilities to achieve a synergistic therapeutic effect in a complex tumor environment is highly desirable. Herein, we report an approach by means of tumor intracellular hypochlorite (ClO^-) to turn on fluorescence integrated with type I and II ROS generation for imaging-guided PDT. The resultant PTZSPy functions as a type II photosensitizer with mitochondria-targeting capability. In the presence of ClO^-, PTZSPy is transformed into its oxidized counterpart SPTZSPy, turns on an orange-red fluorescence and triggers the type I ROS generation ability. Biological studies revealed that PTZSPy can accurately distinguishes tumor cells from normal cells, dynamically monitors the cell ablation process and be utilized for theranostics in MCF-7 tumor-bearing nude mice in vivo. This work provides an innovative strategy exploiting the highly abundant ClO^- in tumor cells for the type I and II ROS two-pronged and imaging-guided PDT.

Keywords: Aggregation-induced emission; Hypochlorite; Photodynamic therapy; Photosensitizer; Turn-on fluorescence.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Animals
Cell Line, Tumor
Fluorescence
Hypochlorous Acid
Mice
Mice, Nude
Nanoparticles*
Photochemotherapy*
Photosensitizing Agents / therapeutic use

Substances

Hypochlorous Acid
Photosensitizing Agents