Ferrocenylseleno-dopamine functionalized carbon dots for redox-gated imaging and drug delivery in cancer cells. (September 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Lu, Xiulian; Wang, Xuewen; Li, Aimin; Zhou, Tong; Zhang, Lei; Qu, Jian; Mao, Zhijie; Gu, Ximiao; Zhang, Xin; Jing, Su
• Is Part Of: Dyes and pigments. Volume 205(2022)
• Publication Date: 2022-09
• Subjects: HA-Derived carbon dots -- Ferrocene -- Fluorescent probe -- Fenton-like chemistry; Dyes and dyeing -- Periodicals; Pigments -- Periodicals; 667.2
• DOI: 10.1016/j.dyepig.2022.110586
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0143-7208

Abstract

Abstract: Fluorescent carbon dots (CDs) have aroused great interest in the nanomedicine due to their excellent chemical stability and biological compatibility. However, carbon dots-based nanoplatform integrated with targeted cancer imaging and responsive drug delivery are still challenging. Herein, we synthesized strongly green-fluorescent, cancer-cell-targeted and cationic carbon dots (HP-CDs) via hydrothermal method, by using hyaluronic acid (HA) and polyetherimide together as the starting materials. The nanoprobe could be specifically internalized with cancer cells, due to the recognition of surface HA with highly-expressed CD44 receptor. Ferrocenylseleno-dopamine (FcDA) was particularly designed as new generation drug of Fenton-like reagents, assembled on the surface of HP-CDs to obtain CDs@FcDA nanoprobe. In CDs@FcDA nanoprobe, FcDA significantly quenched CDs fluorescence due to photo-induced electron transfer. Upon the cellular specific uptake, ferrocene moiety of the nanoprobe would be oxidized into ferrocenium cation by intracellular H2 O2 in a typical Fenton-like reaction, which resulted in charge reversal and drug release from HP-CDs surface. The quenched nanoprobe fluorescence was thus recovered and achieved the cancer-cell-specific imaging. Meantime, the Fenton chemistry produced toxic OH, leading to the cancer cell apoptosis. Importantly, the composites of CDs@FcDA exhibited lower IC50 value than that of free FcDA for HeLa cell lines, indicating greater therapeutic efficiency of the drug nanoplatform. Moreover, oxidized ferrocenium could react with endogenous glutathione (GSH) and be reversibly restored to the reduced ferrocene, which formed a Fenton-chemistry cycle regulated by H2 O2 and GSH in cancer microenvironment. Therefore, the HA-functionalized CDs@FcDA nanoprobe proposed in this work represents an attractive tool for redox-gated imaging and cancer-cell-responsive drug delivery. Graphical abstract: A self-targeted and redox-gated nanoprobe was designed by using ferrocenylseleno-functionalized fluorescent carbon dots to achieve cancer-cell responsive theranostics. A self-targeted and redox-gated nanoprobe was designed by using FcDA-functionalized fluorescent carbon dots to achieve cancer-cell responsive theranostics. Image 1 Highlights: A self-targeted and FcDA-functionalized fluorescent probe of CDs@FcDA is presented for cancer-cell responsive theranostics. FcDA-based Fenton-like chemistry facilitates the "turning-on" fluorescence imaging and redox-gated drug delivery. The composites of CDs@FcDA exhibited lower IC50 value than that of free FcDA for Fenton therapy of cancer cells.