title: Folic acid-functionalized mesoporous silica nanospheres hybridized with AIE luminogens for targeted cancer cell imaging.
abstract: Fluorescent nanoparticles (FNPs) have been found to be useful as visualization tools for biological sensing, probing, imaging, and monitoring. Applied to targeted cancer cell imaging, FNPs are highly desirable for early stage cancer diagnosis and treatment. However, the light emission from most of the FNPs reported is severely limited because of the aggregation-caused quenching (ACQ) effect. Herein, we present highly emissive inorganic-organic nanoparticles with core-shell structures for targeted cancer cell imaging. Coated with a folate-functionalized silica shell, 9,10-distyrylanthracene (DSA) fluorogens with aggregation-induced emission (AIE) properties served as the fluorescent core, affording folate-functionalized fluorescent silica nanoparticles (FFSNPs) with a high fluorescence quantum yield (up to 20%). The FFSNPs are of small size (diameter ~60 nm), monodispersed, stable in aqueous suspension, and pose little toxicity to living cells and thus can be utilized for targeted HeLa cell imaging. In addition, the FFSNPs are mesoporous and therefore can potentially be used as vehicles for controlled, externally activated release of anticancer drugs.
authors: State Key Laboratory of Supramolecular Structure and Materials, Jilin University, Changchun, 130012, PR China.
authors: Zilong
authors: Z
authors: Wang
authors: Bin
authors: B
authors: Xu
authors: Lei
authors: L
authors: Zhang
authors: Jibo
authors: J
authors: Zhang
authors: Tenghe
authors: T
authors: Ma
authors: Jiabao
authors: J
authors: Zhang
authors: Xueqi
authors: X
authors: Fu
authors: Wenjing
authors: W
authors: Tian
mesh_terms: D041721:3T3-L1 Cells; D000818:Animals; D004705:Endocytosis; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes / Q000737:chemistry; D005492:Folic Acid / Q000737:chemistry*; D006367:HeLa Cells; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D011789:Quantum Theory; D012822:Silicon Dioxide / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D012822:Silicon Dioxide; D005492:Folic Acid