title: Tumor-Targeted Multimodal Optical Imaging with Versatile Cadmium-Free Quantum Dots.
abstract: The rapid development of fluorescence imaging technologies requires concurrent improvements in the performance of fluorescent probes. Quantum dots have been extensively used as an imaging probe in various research areas because of their inherent advantages based on unique optical and electronic properties. However, their clinical translation has been limited by the potential toxicity especially from cadmium. Here, a versatile bioimaging probe is developed by using highly luminescent cadmium-free CuInSe2/ZnS core/shell quantum dots conjugated with CGKRK (Cys-Gly-Lys-Arg-Lys) tumor-targeting peptides. This probe exhibits excellent photostability, reasonably long circulation time, minimal toxicity, and strong tumor-specific homing property. The most important feature of this probe is that it shows distinctive versatility in tumor-targeted multimodal imaging including near-infrared, time-gated, and two-photon imaging in different tumor models. In a glioblastoma mouse model, the targeted probe clearly denotes tumor boundaries and positively labels a population of diffusely infiltrating tumor cells, suggesting its utility in precise tumor detection during surgery. This work lays a foundation for potential clinical translation of the probe.
authors.affiliation: Cancer Research Center, Sanford Burnham Prebys, Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA.
authors.forename: Xiangyou
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Cancer Research Center, Sanford Burnham Prebys, Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA.
authors.forename: Gary B
authors.initials: GB
authors.lastname: Braun
authors.affiliation: Beijing Key Laboratory of Nanophotonics and Ultrafine Optoelectronic Systems, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Haizheng
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhong
authors.affiliation: Moores Cancer Center, Department of Radiology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA.
authors.forename: David J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Hall
authors.affiliation: Cancer Research Center, Sanford Burnham Prebys, Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA.
authors.forename: Wenlong
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Han
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA.
authors.forename: Mingde
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Qin
authors.affiliation: Beijing Key Laboratory of Nanophotonics and Ultrafine Optoelectronic Systems, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Chuanzhen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: Research Center of Materials Science, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Meina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Cancer Research Center, Sanford Burnham Prebys, Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA.
authors.forename: Zhi-Gang
authors.initials: ZG
authors.lastname: She
authors.affiliation: Research Center of Materials Science, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Chuanbao
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cao
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA.
authors.forename: Michael J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Sailor
authors.affiliation: Cancer Research Center, Sanford Burnham Prebys, Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA.
authors.forename: William B
authors.initials: WB
authors.lastname: Stallcup
authors.affiliation: Cancer Research Center, Sanford Burnham Prebys, Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA.
authors.forename: Erkki
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ruoslahti
authors.affiliation: Cancer Research Center, Sanford Burnham Prebys, Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA.
authors.forename: Kazuki N
authors.initials: KN
authors.lastname: Sugahara