title: Strain release in organic photonic nanoparticles for protease sensing.
abstract: Proteases are overexpressed in most cancers and proteolytic activity has been shown to be a viable marker for cancer imaging in vivo. Herein, we describe the synthesis of luminescence-quenched shell cross-linked nanoparticles as photonic nanoprobes for protease sensing. Protease sensing scheme is based on a "turn-on" mechanism where the protease cleaves peptide cross-linkers of the fluorescence-quenched shell cross-linked NP (OFF state) leading to a highly emissive non-cross linked NP (ON state). The cross-linked particles can be strained by exposure to a good solvent and proteolysis allows for particle expansion (swelling) and a recovery of the luminescence.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA.
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cordovilla
authors.forename: Timothy M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Swager
mesh_terms: D003432:Cross-Linking Reagents / Q000737:chemistry; D049449:Luminescence; D015394:Molecular Structure; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry*; D010447:Peptide Hydrolases / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D017785:Photons; D011108:Polymers / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D003432:Cross-Linking Reagents; D011108:Polymers; D010447:Peptide Hydrolases