Activatable\nMultifunctional Persistent Luminescence\nNanoparticle/Copper Sulfide Nanoprobe for in Vivo Luminescence Imaging-Guided\nPhotothermal Therapy

Abstract

Multifunctional nanoprobes that provide\ndiagnosis and treatment\nfeatures have attracted great interest in precision medicine. Near-infrared\n(NIR) persistent luminescence nanoparticles (PLNPs) are optimal materials\ndue to no in situ excitation needed, deep tissue penetration, and\nhigh signal-to-noise ratio, while activatable optical probes can further\nenhance signal-to-noise ratio for the signal turn-on nature. Here,\nwe show the design of an activatable multifunctional PLNP/copper sulfide\n(CuS)-based nanoprobe for luminescence imaging-guided photothermal\ntherapy in vivo. Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs)-specific peptide\nsubstrate (H₂N–GPLGVRGC–SH) was used to connect\nPLNP and CuS to build a MMP activatable system. The nanoprobe not\nonly possesses ultralow-background for in vivo luminescence imaging\ndue to the absence of autofluorescence and optical activatable nature\nbut also offers effective photothermal therapy from CuS nanoparticles.\nFurther bioconjugation of c­(RGDyK) enables the nanoprobe for cancer-targeted\nluminescence imaging-guided photothermal therapy. The good biocompatibility\nand the multiple functions of highly sensitive tumor-targeting luminescence\nimaging and effective photothermal therapy make the nanoprobe promising\nfor theranostic application.