title: Coordinatively Self-Assembled Luminescent Gold Nanoparticles: Fluorescence Turn-On System for High-Efficiency Passive Tumor Imaging.
abstract: A fluorescence turn-on system for highly efficient and prolonged tumor imaging has been established by a Co2+-induced coordination self-assembly strategy, in which luminescent glutathione (GSH)-modified gold nanoparticles (LGAuNPs) are assembled into LGAuNPs assemblies (LGAuNPs-Co) through a coordination bond between an unoccupied orbit of Co2+and lone pair electrons of GSH on the surface of LGAuNPs. The LGAuNPs-Co is sensitive to microenvironment pH, and its quenched luminescence will be turned on in tumor tissues (acidic microenvironment), which behaves as a fluorescence turn-on system for passive tumor imaging. The fluorescence turn-on system combines advantages of the enhanced permeability and retention (EPR) effect of NPs and pH-induced fluorescence turn-on property at the tumor site, which results in a larger fluorescence intensity (FI) difference between normal and tumor tissues as compared with that of luminescent Au NPs (LAuNPs, only with the EPR effect) (∼12-fold). Such a large FI difference results in that LGAuNPs-Co has rapid (∼1.6 h), persistent (∼24 h p.i.), and highly efficient tumor targeting capability in comparison with LGAuNPs. Moreover, the LGAuNPs-Co also has much longer tumor retention, faster renal clearance, and lower reticuloendothelial system (RES) uptake than LGAuNPs. Therefore, the fluorescence turn-on system is very promising for cancer diagnosis and therapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, South China University of Technology , Guangzhou 510640, China.
authors.forename: Xuandi
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Lai
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Organ Failure Research, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University , Guangzhou 510515, China.
authors.forename: Lishan
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, South China University of Technology , Guangzhou 510640, China.
authors.forename: Xiulong
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Deng
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, South China University of Technology , Guangzhou 510640, China.
authors.forename: Jinbin
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2046-131X
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Organ Failure Research, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University , Guangzhou 510515, China.
authors.forename: Aiqing
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, South China University of Technology , Guangzhou 510640, China.
authors.forename: Jianyu
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, South China University of Technology , Guangzhou 510640, China.
authors.forename: Jianqiang
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7706-4377
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hu
mesh_terms: D005453:Fluorescence; D006046:Gold; D006801:Humans; D049449:Luminescence; D053768:Metal Nanoparticles; D053758:Nanoparticles; D009369:Neoplasms
chemical_list: D006046:Gold
keywords: cancer; fluorescence turn-on system; nanoparticles; passive tumor imaging; self-assembly