Synthesis of an AIEgen functionalized cucurbit[7]uril for subcellular bioimaging and synergistic photodynamic therapy and supramolecular chemotherapy.
Jia ChenShengke LiZeyu WangYating PanJianwen WeiSiyu LuQing-Wen ZhangLian-Hui WangRuibing WangPublished in: Chemical science (2021)
Aggregation-induced emission (AIE) based fluorophores (AIEgens) have attracted increasing attention for biomedical applications due to their unique optical properties. Here we report an AIE photosensitizer functionalized CB[7], namely AIECB[7], which could spontaneously self-assemble into nanoaggregates in aqueous solutions. Interestingly, the carbonyl-lace of CB[7] may potentially act as a proton acceptor in an acidic environment to fine-tune the fluorescence and singlet oxygen generation of AIECB[7] nanoaggregates by regulating the inner stacking of AIEgens. Additionally, benefiting from the guest-binding properties of CB[7], oxaliplatin was included into AIECB[7] nanoaggregates for combined photodynamic therapy and supramolecular chemotherapy. To show the modular versatility of this supramolecular system, a hypoxia-activatable prodrug banoxantrone (AQ4N) was loaded into AIECB[7] nanoaggregates, which exhibited synergistic antitumor effects on a multicellular tumor spheroid model (MCTS). This work not only provides AIECB[7] for versatile theranostic applications, but also offers important new insights into the design and development of macrocycle-conjugated AIE materials for diverse biomedical applications.
Keyphrases
- photodynamic therapy
- energy transfer
- fluorescent probe
- quantum dots
- living cells
- cancer therapy
- fluorescence imaging
- water soluble
- drug delivery
- locally advanced
- single molecule
- working memory
- endothelial cells
- air pollution
- molecularly imprinted
- squamous cell carcinoma
- mass spectrometry
- liquid chromatography
- solid state
- wound healing
- tandem mass spectrometry
- binding protein