Multifunctional Gold Nanoclusters for Effective Targeting, Near-Infrared Fluorescence Imaging, Diagnosis, and Treatment of Cancer Lymphatic Metastasis

Pang，Zeyang1,2; Yan，Weixiao1; Yang，Jie1; Li，Qizhen1; Guo，Yuan3; Zhou，Dejian2; Jiang，Xingyu1

2022

10.1021/acsnano.2c03752

ACS Nano   Impact Factor & Quartile

1936-0851

1936-086X

Developing effective lymph-node (LN) targeting and imaging probes is crucial for the early detection and diagnosis of tumor metastasis to improve patient survival. Most current clinical LN imaging probes are based on small organic dyes (e.g., indocyanine green) or radioactive 99mTc-complexes, which often suffer from limitations, such as rapid photobleaching, poor signal contrast, and potential biosafety issues. Moreover, these probes cannot easily incorporate therapeutic functions to realize beneficial theranostics without affecting their LN-targeting ability. Herein, we have developed dual-ligand-/multiligand-capped gold nanoclusters (GNCs) for specific targeting, near-Infrared (NIR) fluorescence imaging, diagnosis, and treatment of LN cancer metastasis in in vivo mouse models. By optimizing the surface ligand coating, we have prepared Au25(SR1)n(SR2)18-n (where SR1 and SR2 are different functional thiol ligands)-type GNCs, which display highly effective LN targeting, excellent stability and biocompatibility, and optimal body-retention time. Moreover, they can provide continuous NIR fluorescence imaging of LNs for >3 h from a single dose, making them well-suited for fluorescence-guided surgery. Importantly, we have further incorporated methotrexate, a chemotherapeutic drug, into the GNCs without affecting their LN-targeting ability. Consequently, they can significantly improve the efficiency of methotrexate delivery to target LNs, achieving excellent therapeutic efficacy with up to 4-fold lower hepatotoxicity. Thus, the GNCs are highly effective and safe theranostic nanomedicines against cancer lymphatic metastasis.

cancer metastasis fluorescence imaging gold nanoclusters imaging-guided surgery lymph-node targeting theranostics

SCI

English

NI Journal Papers

First ; Corresponding

Ministry of Science and Technology of China[2020YFA0908900] ; Shenzhen Science and Technology Program[KQTD20190929172743294] ; National Natural Science Foundation of China["22104050","21535001","21761142006"] ; Chinese Academy of Sciences[QYZDJ-SSW-SLH039] ; Guangdong Innovative and Entrepreneurial Research Team Program[2019ZT08Y191] ; UK Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council[BB/R007829/1] ; Royal Society[IEC\NSFC\191397]

Chemistry ; Science & Technology - Other Topics ; Materials Science

Chemistry, Multidisciplinary ; Chemistry, Physical ; Nanoscience & Nanotechnology ; Materials Science, Multidisciplinary

WOS:000862165500001

AMER CHEMICAL SOC

2-s2.0-85138872947

Scopus

1.Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Advanced Biomaterials and Shenzhen,Key Laboratory of Smart Healthcare Engineering,Department of Biomedical Engineering,Southern University of Science and Technology,Shenzhen,No 1088, Xueyuan Rd, Nanshan District, Guangdong,518055,China
2.School of Chemistry,Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology,University of Leeds,Leeds,LS2 9JT,United Kingdom
3.School of Food Science and Nutrition,Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology,University of Leeds,Leeds,LS2 9JT,United Kingdom

Pang，Zeyang,Yan，Weixiao,Yang，Jie,et al. Multifunctional Gold Nanoclusters for Effective Targeting, Near-Infrared Fluorescence Imaging, Diagnosis, and Treatment of Cancer Lymphatic Metastasis[J]. ACS Nano,2022.

Pang，Zeyang.,Yan，Weixiao.,Yang，Jie.,Li，Qizhen.,Guo，Yuan.,...&Jiang，Xingyu.(2022).Multifunctional Gold Nanoclusters for Effective Targeting, Near-Infrared Fluorescence Imaging, Diagnosis, and Treatment of Cancer Lymphatic Metastasis.ACS Nano.

Pang，Zeyang,et al."Multifunctional Gold Nanoclusters for Effective Targeting, Near-Infrared Fluorescence Imaging, Diagnosis, and Treatment of Cancer Lymphatic Metastasis".ACS Nano (2022).