title: Cationic conjugated polymer/fluoresceinamine-hyaluronan complex for sensitive fluorescence detection of CD44 and tumor-targeted cell imaging.
abstract: Simple, rapid, and sensitive detection of CD44 is of paramount importance since it plays pivotal roles in tumor initiation, growth and metastasis. Herein, we describe a novel method for sensitive, visual and facile fluorescence detection of CD44 and CD44-mediated cancer cell imaging, using a probe based on cationic conjugated polymer (CCP)-PFEP and fluoresceinamine-hyaluronan (FA-HA). HA is an anionic natural glycosaminoglycan that can specifically bind to the overexpressed CD44 on various kinds of cancer cells. PFEP and FA-HA formed a complex through electronic interactions, resulting in a highly efficient fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) from PFEP to FA-HA; moreover, the efficiencies of FRET correlated with the concentrations of CD44 because the specific binding of HA-CD44 would separate FA-HA away from PFEP. This method did not require laborious and expensive dual-labeling or protein-labeling needed in previously reported detection methods of CD44. Just mix the sample and test solution containing the PFEP/FA-HA complex, and the results allowed naked-eye detection by observing fluorescent color of solutions with the assistance of a UV lamp. Most importantly, the use of a conjugated polymer with excellent amplification property as well as the specific binding of HA-CD44 endowed this method with high sensitivity and specificity, making it applicable for reliable quantitative detection of CD44. Furthermore, the PFEP/FA-HA complex formed nanoparticles in aqueous solution, and the nanoparticles can be selectively taken up by MCF-7 cells (cancer cell) through the HA-CD44 interaction, thereby giving rise to a dual-color tumor-targeted imaging probe with good photostability. The development of this fluorescent probe showed promising potential to make a reliable and routine method available for early diagnosis of cancer.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory for Organic Electronics & Information Displays (KLOEID) and Institute of Advanced Materials (IAM), Nanjing University of Posts & Telecommunications , Nanjing 210023, China.
authors.forename: Yanqin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Xin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Yao
authors.forename: Rui
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Lang
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ouyang
authors.forename: Rongcui
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Xingfen
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Caixia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: Guangwei
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Quli
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Fan
authors.forename: Lianhui
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Huang
mesh_terms: D002412:Cations / Q000737:chemistry; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D016503:Drug Delivery Systems / Q000379:methods*; D005452:Fluoresceins / Q000737:chemistry*; D031541:Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes / Q000737:chemistry; D006801:Humans; D018960:Hyaluronan Receptors / Q000032:analysis*; D006820:Hyaluronic Acid / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry*; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism*; D019906:Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, Biomolecular; D011108:Polymers / Q000737:chemistry / Q000493:pharmacokinetics
chemical_list: D002412:Cations; D005452:Fluoresceins; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D018960:Hyaluronan Receptors; D011108:Polymers; D006820:Hyaluronic Acid
keywords: CD44; cationic conjugated polymer; cell imaging; fluoresceinamine-hyaluronan; fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET)