title: Synthesis and characterization of ZnS:Mn/ZnS core/shell nanoparticles for tumor targeting and imaging in vivo.
abstract: Fluorescence imaging technique has been used for imaging of biological cells and tissues in vivo. The Cd-free luminescent quantum dots conjugating with a cancer targeting ligand has been taken as a promising biocompatibility and low cytotoxicity system for targeted cancer imaging. This work reports the synthesis of fluorescent-doped core/shell quantum dots of water-soluble manganese-doped zinc sulfide. Quantum dots of manganese-doped zinc sulfide were prepared by nucleation doping strategy, with 3-mercaptopropionic acid as stabilizer at 90 in aqueous solution. The manganese-doped zinc sulfide nanoparticles exhibit strong orange fluorescence under UV irradiation, resistance to photo-bleaching, and low-cytotoxicity to HeLa cells. The structure and optical properties of nanoparticles were characterized by scanning electron microscope, X-ray diffraction, dynamic light scattering, and photoluminescence emission spectroscopy. Manganese-doped zinc sulfide nanoparticles conjugated with folic acid using 2,2'-(ethylenedioxy)-bis-(ethylamine) as the linker. The covalent binding of both 2,2'-(ethylenedioxy)-bis-(ethylamine) and folic acid on the surface of manganese-doped zinc sulfide nanoparticles probed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy detection. Furthermore, in vitro cytotoxicity assessment of manganese-doped zinc sulfide-folic acid probes use HeLa cells. The obtained fluorescent probes (manganese-doped zinc sulfide) were used for tumor targeting and imaging in vivo. The manganese-doped zinc sulfide-folic acid fluorescent probes which targeting the tumor cells in the body of nude mouse tumor model would emit orange fluorescence, when exposed to a 365 nm lamp. We investigate the biodistribution of the manganese-doped zinc sulfide-folic acid fluorescent probes in tumor mouse model by measuring zinc concentration in tissues. These studies demonstrate the practicality of manganese-doped zinc sulfide-folic acid fluorescent probes as promising platform for tumor targeting and imaging in vivo.
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine, Shaoxing University, Shaoxing, PR China. yzs@usx.edu.cn
authors.forename: Zhangsen
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Xiying
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Bin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Yuefang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Pan
authors.forename: Zhaogang
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes / Q000032:analysis / Q000633:toxicity; D006367:HeLa Cells; D006801:Humans; D008345:Manganese / Q000032:analysis / Q000633:toxicity; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000032:analysis / Q000633:toxicity / Q000648:ultrastructure; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D061848:Optical Imaging; D013440:Sulfides / Q000032:analysis / Q000633:toxicity; D017967:Zinc Compounds / Q000032:analysis / Q000633:toxicity
chemical_list: D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D013440:Sulfides; D017967:Zinc Compounds; D008345:Manganese; C031238:zinc sulfide