Carbon Dots with Absorption Red-Shifting for Two-Photon Fluorescence Imaging of Tumor Tissue pH and Synergistic Phototherapy.

Abstract

Phototherapy exhibits significant potential as a novel tumor treatment method, and the development of highly active photosensitizers and photothermal agents has drawn considerable attention. In this work, S and N atom co-doped carbon dots (S,N-CDs) with an absorption redshift effect were prepared by hydrothermal synthesis with lysine, o-phenylenediamine, and sulfuric acid as raw materials. The near-infrared (NIR) absorption features of the S,N-CDs resulted in two-photon (TP) emission, which has been used in TP fluorescence imaging of lysosomes and tumor tissue pH and real-time monitoring of apoptosis during tumor phototherapy, respectively. The obtained heteroatom co-doped CDs can be used not only as an NIR imaging probe but also as an effective photodynamic therapy/photothermal therapy (PDT/PTT) therapeutic agent. The efficiencies of different heteroatom-doped CDs in tumor treatment were compared. It was found that the S,N-CDs showed higher therapeutic efficiency than N-doped CDs, the efficiency of producing 1O2 was 27%, and the photothermal conversion efficiency reached 34.4%. The study provides new insight into the synthesis of carbon-based nanodrugs for synergistic phototherapy and accurate diagnosis of tumors.

• Authors: Yulong Bai, Jingjin Zhao, Shulong Wang, Tianran Lin, Fanggui Ye, Shulin Zhao
• Journal: ACS applied materials & interfaces (ACS Appl Mater Interfaces) Vol. 13 Issue 30 Pg. 35365-35375 (Aug 04 2021) ISSN: 1944-8252 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 34286953 (Publication Type: Journal Article)

Chemical References

• Antineoplastic Agents
• Fluorescent Dyes
• Photosensitizing Agents
• Singlet Oxygen
• Sulfur
• Carbon
• Nitrogen

Topics

• Animals
• Antineoplastic Agents (chemistry, radiation effects, therapeutic use)
• Apoptosis (drug effects)
• Carbon (chemistry, radiation effects)
• Fluorescent Dyes (chemistry, radiation effects, therapeutic use)
• Fluorometry
• HeLa Cells
• Humans
• Hydrogen-Ion Concentration
• Lysosomes (metabolism)
• Mice, Nude
• Neoplasms (diagnostic imaging, drug therapy, metabolism)
• Nitrogen (chemistry, radiation effects)
• Photons
• Photosensitizing Agents (chemistry, radiation effects, therapeutic use)
• Phototherapy
• Quantum Dots (chemistry, radiation effects, therapeutic use)
• Singlet Oxygen (metabolism)
• Sulfur (chemistry, radiation effects)