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Researchers propose strategy to evaluate tumour photothermal therapy in real-time

7 Aug 2020
Researchers propose strategy to evaluate tumour photothermal therapy in real-time

Photothermal therapy (PTT) is a promising alternative method for cancer treatment due to advantages of non-invasiveness, precise temporal and spatial control, strong specificity and high tumour destruction efficiency.

At present, the clinical evaluation of cancer treatment mainly relies on cytology, histopathology and imaging.

Meanwhile, tumour therapy and its therapeutic efficiency evaluation are conducted separately.

Recently, a research group led by Prof. LIANG Gaolin from University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) of Chinese Academy of Science, collaborating with Dr. WANG Longsheng from the Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, reported an "intelligent" strategy of using organic nanoparticles to evaluate PTT efficiency on tumour in real time.

The study was published online in ACS Nano.

Via a CBT-Cys click condensation reaction, the researchers designed a small molecular near-infrared probe Cys(StBu)-Asp-Glu-Val-Asp-Lys(Cypate)-CBT (Cy-CBT) and prepared an intelligent nanoparticle Cy-CBT-NP, which is a fluorescence-quenched photothermal nanoparticle.

After tumour cells' uptake of Cy-CBT-NP, the tumour was treated with photothermal therapy under 808nm laser irradiation.

During the PTT, the tumour cell eventually died and the Caspase 3 (Casp 3) was activated.

Casp 3 specifically recognised and cleaved DEVD substrates in the Cy-CBT-NP to yield Cy-CBT-NP-Cleaved which was accompanied by near-infrared fluorescence (NIF), turning the fluorescence "On".

Because the PTT efficiency, Casp3 activity, and the turned "On" NIR fluorescence intensity are positively correlated, this intelligent nanoparticle Cy-CBT-NP can be used to evaluate the tumour photothermal efficiency in real time.

Compared with the traditional tumour efficiency evaluation method, the strategy is real-time and can help doctors adjust the treatment plan in time.

Source: University of Science and Technology of China