Amplification of Cerenkov Luminescence Using Semiconducting Polymers for Cancer Theranostics

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Abstract

The therapeutic efficacy of photodynamic therapy is limited by the ability of light to penetrate tissues. Due to this limitation, Cerenkov luminescence (CL) from radionuclides has recently been proposed as an alternative light source in a strategy referred to as Cerenkov radiation‐induced therapy (CRIT). Semiconducting polymer nanoparticles (SPNs) have ideal optical properties, such as large absorption cross‐sections and broad absorbance, which can be utilized to harness the relatively weak CL produced by radionuclides. SPNs can be doped with photosensitizers and have ≈100% energy transfer efficiency by multiple energy transfer mechanisms. Herein, an optimized photosensitizer‐doped SPN is investigated as a nanosystem to harness and amplify CL for cancer theranostics. It is found that semiconducting polymers significantly amplify CL energy transfer efficiency. Bimodal positron emission tomography (PET) and optical imaging studies show high tumor uptake and retention of the optimized SPNs when administered intravenously or intratumorally. Lastly, it is found that photosensitizer‐doped SPNs have excellent potential as a cancer theranostics nanosystem in an in vivo tumor therapy study. This study shows that SPNs are ideally suited to harness and amplify CL for cancer theranostics, which may provide a significant advancement for CRIT that are unabated by tissue penetration limits.

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PEGylation as a strategy for improving nanoparticle-based drug and gene delivery.

Jung Suk, Qingguo Xu, Namho Kim … (2016)

Coating the surface of nanoparticles with polyethylene glycol (PEG), or "PEGylation", is a commonly used approach for improving the efficiency of drug and gene delivery to target cells and tissues. Building from the success of PEGylating proteins to improve systemic circulation time and decrease immunogenicity, the impact of PEG coatings on the fate of systemically administered nanoparticle formulations has, and continues to be, widely studied. PEG coatings on nanoparticles shield the surface from aggregation, opsonization, and phagocytosis, prolonging systemic circulation time. Here, we briefly describe the history of the development of PEGylated nanoparticle formulations for systemic administration, including how factors such as PEG molecular weight, PEG surface density, nanoparticle core properties, and repeated administration impact circulation time. A less frequently discussed topic, we then describe how PEG coatings on nanoparticles have also been utilized for overcoming various biological barriers to efficient drug and gene delivery associated with other modes of administration, ranging from gastrointestinal to ocular. Finally, we describe both methods for PEGylating nanoparticles and methods for characterizing PEG surface density, a key factor in the effectiveness of the PEG surface coating for improving drug and gene delivery.

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Molecular afterglow imaging with bright, biodegradable polymer nanoparticles

Qingqing Miao, Chen Xie, Xu Zhen … (2017)

Afterglow optical agents, which emit light long after cessation of excitation, hold promise for ultrasensitive in vivo imaging because they eliminate tissue autofluorescence. However, afterglow imaging has been limited by its reliance on inorganic nanoparticles with relatively low brightness and short-near-infrared (NIR) emission. Here we present semiconducting polymer nanoparticles (SPNs) <40 nm in diameter that store photon energy via chemical defects and emit long-NIR afterglow luminescence at 780 nm with a half-life of ∼6 min. In vivo, the afterglow intensity of SPNs is more than 100-fold brighter than that of inorganic afterglow agents, and the signal is detectable through the body of a live mouse. High-contrast lymph node and tumor imaging in living mice is demonstrated with a signal-to-background ratio up to 127-times higher than that obtained by NIR fluorescence imaging. Moreover, we developed an afterglow probe, activated only in the presence of biothiols, for early detection of drug-induced hepatotoxicity in living mice.

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Semiconducting Polymer Nanoparticles as Photoacoustic Molecular Imaging Probes in Living Mice

Kanyi Pu, Adam Shuhendler, Jesse V Jokerst … (2014)

Photoacoustic (PA) imaging holds great promise for the visualization of physiology and pathology at the molecular level with deep tissue penetration and fine spatial resolution. To fully utilize this potential, PA molecular imaging probes have to be developed. Herein we introduce near infrared (NIR) light absorbing semiconducting polymer nanoparticles (SPNs) as a new class of contrast agents for PA molecular imaging. SPNs can produce stronger signal than commonly used single-wall carbon nanotubes and gold nanorods on a per mass basis, permitting whole-body lymph node PA mapping in living mice at a low systematic injection mass. Furthermore, SPNs possess high structural flexibility, narrow PA spectral profiles, and strong resistance to photodegradation and oxidation, which enables development of the first NIR ratiometric PA probe for in vivo real-time imaging of reactive oxygen species—vital chemical mediators of many diseases. These results demonstrate SPNs an ideal nanoplatform for developing PA molecular probes.