title: Distinguish cancer cells based on targeting turn-on fluorescence imaging by folate functionalized green emitting carbon dots.
abstract: Developing efficient methods for visual detection of cancer cells has the potential to contribute greatly to basic biological research and early diagnosis of cancer. Here, we report facile and one-step synthesis of green fluorescence carbon dots (CDs) with the help of a new passivating agent--poly(acrylate sodium) (PAAS). Based on the as-prepared CDs, a novel turn-on fluorescence probe was designed for targeting imaging of cancer cells via hydrogen-bond interaction between folic acid and CDs (FA-CDs). Intracellular experiments indicated that FA-CDs probe could accurately distinguish folate receptor (FR)-positive cancer cells in different cell mixtures with turn-on mode. In particular, combining the targeting of FA-CDs probe with the excellent photostability of CDs has inestimable meaning for fluorescence-assisted surgical resection and acquisition real-time information about tumor cells. Obviously, the as-prepared FA-CDs probe may have great potential as a high-performance platform for accurately recognizing special cancer cells, which may provide new tools for cancer prognosis and therapy.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Theoretical and Computational Photochemistry, Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China.
authors.forename: Qiuling
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Theoretical and Computational Photochemistry, Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China.
authors.forename: Shenghao
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Theoretical and Computational Photochemistry, Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China.
authors.forename: Caixia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Niu
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Theoretical and Computational Photochemistry, Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China.
authors.forename: Minfeng
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory for Cell Proliferation and Regulation Biology, Ministry of Education, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China.
authors.forename: Dacheng
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: He
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Theoretical and Computational Photochemistry, Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China.
authors.forename: Zhonglin
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Theoretical and Computational Photochemistry, Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China.
authors.forename: Lin
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Theoretical and Computational Photochemistry, Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China.
authors.forename: Na
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Na
authors.affiliation: Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, CAS Key Laboratory of Photochemistry, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Science, Beijing 100190, China.
authors.forename: Fu
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Theoretical and Computational Photochemistry, Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China.
authors.forename: Hua
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Theoretical and Computational Photochemistry, Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China. Electronic address: jinoyang@bnu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Jin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ouyang
mesh_terms: D002244:Carbon / Q000737:chemistry*; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes / Q000737:chemistry*; D058973:Folate Receptors, GPI-Anchored / Q000032:analysis; D005492:Folic Acid / Q000737:chemistry*; D057809:HEK293 Cells; D006367:HeLa Cells; D056945:Hep G2 Cells; D006801:Humans; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence / Q000379:methods*; D053761:Nanocomposites / Q000737:chemistry*; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D061848:Optical Imaging / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D058973:Folate Receptors, GPI-Anchored; D002244:Carbon; D005492:Folic Acid
keywords: Carbon dots; Distinguishing cancer cells; Green emitting; Targeting imaging; Turn-on fluorescence