title: Activatable Ferritin Nanocomplex for Real-Time Monitoring of Caspase-3 Activation during Photodynamic Therapy.
abstract: One mechanism of photodynamic therapy (PDT) for the ablation of tumors is to induce apoptosis. Visualization of apoptosis during PDT in real-time is of great benefit for predicting and evaluating therapeutic outcomes. Herein, we engineered a highly stable and sensitive caspase-3 ferritin activatable probe (FABP/ZnPc) for simultaneous delivery of a photosensitizer (ZnPc) and real-time visualization of apoptosis during PDT. Upon near-infrared (NIR) light irradiation, ZnPc becomes active and initiates apoptosis, upon which the outer layer of the FABP/ZnPc is degraded by the apoptotic marker, caspase-3, to boost strong fluorescent signals, ultimately allowing real-time imaging of apoptosis. Our results demonstrate the utility of FABP/ZnPc as a tool for PDT and simultaneous imaging of caspase-3 activation in vitro and in vivo. Overall, the ability of FABP/ZnPc to image apoptosis during PDT will not only facilitate optimizing and personalizing the PDT strategy but is also important for understanding the mechanisms of PDT.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular Diagnostics & Center for Molecular Imaging and Translational Medicine, School of Public Health, Xiamen University , Xiamen 361005, China.
authors.forename: Jingjing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular Diagnostics & Center for Molecular Imaging and Translational Medicine, School of Public Health, Xiamen University , Xiamen 361005, China.
authors.forename: Liwen
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: China-Japan Union Hospital, Jilin University , Changchun 130033, China.
authors.forename: Minglong
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: China-Japan Union Hospital, Jilin University , Changchun 130033, China.
authors.forename: Shi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular Diagnostics & Center for Molecular Imaging and Translational Medicine, School of Public Health, Xiamen University , Xiamen 361005, China.
authors.forename: Lei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D053148:Caspase 3 / Q000378:metabolism*; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D004705:Endocytosis / Q000187:drug effects; D004789:Enzyme Activation / Q000187:drug effects; D005293:Ferritins / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007211:Indoles / Q000494:pharmacology; D051379:Mice; D015335:Molecular Probes / Q000378:metabolism; D041681:NIH 3T3 Cells; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry*; D009942:Organometallic Compounds / Q000494:pharmacology; D010778:Photochemotherapy; D013056:Spectrophotometry, Ultraviolet
chemical_list: D007211:Indoles; D015335:Molecular Probes; D009942:Organometallic Compounds; C063072:zinc(II) phthalocyanine trisulfonic acid; D005293:Ferritins; D053148:Caspase 3
keywords: activatable probe; apoptosis; caspase-3; ferritin; photodynamic therapy