title: Bioinspired fluorescent dipeptide nanoparticles for targeted cancer cell imaging and real-time monitoring of drug release.
abstract: Peptide nanostructures are biodegradable and are suitable for many biomedical applications. However, to be useful imaging probes, the limited intrinsic optical properties of peptides must be overcome. Here we show the formation of tryptophan-phenylalanine dipeptide nanoparticles (DNPs) that can shift the peptide's intrinsic fluorescent signal from the ultraviolet to the visible range. The visible emission signal allows the DNPs to act as imaging and sensing probes. The peptide design is inspired by the red shift seen in the yellow fluorescent protein that results from π-π stacking and by the enhanced fluorescence intensity seen in the green fluorescent protein mutant, BFPms1, which results from the structure rigidification by Zn(II). We show that DNPs are photostable, biocompatible and have a narrow emission bandwidth and visible fluorescence properties. DNPs functionalized with the MUC1 aptamer and doxorubicin can target cancer cells and can be used to image and monitor drug release in real time.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, USA.|Dorothy M. Davis Heart &Lung Research Institute, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, Ohio 43210, USA.
authors.forename: Zhen
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Fan
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, USA.|Dorothy M. Davis Heart &Lung Research Institute, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, Ohio 43210, USA.
authors.forename: Leming
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, USA.|Dorothy M. Davis Heart &Lung Research Institute, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, Ohio 43210, USA.
authors.forename: Yujian
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, USA.|Dorothy M. Davis Heart &Lung Research Institute, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, Ohio 43210, USA.
authors.forename: Yongzhong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, USA.|Dorothy M. Davis Heart &Lung Research Institute, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, Ohio 43210, USA.|Interdisciplinary Biophysics Graduate Program, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, USA.
authors.forename: Mingjun
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D004151:Dipeptides / Q000737:chemistry / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D004317:Doxorubicin / Q000737:chemistry / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D004337:Drug Carriers / Q000737:chemistry / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D065546:Drug Liberation; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes / Q000737:chemistry / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry*; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D061848:Optical Imaging / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D004151:Dipeptides; D004337:Drug Carriers; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D004317:Doxorubicin