Renal Clearable Ru-based Coordination Polymer Nanodots for Photoacoustic Imaging Guided Cancer Therapy

• Published in: Theranostics 2019-01, Vol.9 (26), p.8266-8276
• Main Authors: Zhang, Rui, Fan, Xing, Meng, Zhouqi, Lin, Haiping, Jin, Qiutong, Gong, Fei, Dong, Ziliang, Li, Youyong, Chen, Qian, Liu, Zhuang, Cheng, Liang
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Breast Neoplasms - diagnostic imaging; Breast Neoplasms - therapy; Cancer therapies; Cell Line, Tumor; Cell Survival - physiology; Efficiency; Extinction; Female; Laboratory animals; Lasers; Ligands; Mice; Mice, Inbred BALB C; Microscopy, Electron, Transmission; Nanoparticles; Nanoparticles - chemistry; Phenanthrolines - chemistry; Photoacoustic Techniques - methods; Polymers - chemistry; Research Paper; Ruthenium - chemistry; Spectrometry, X-Ray Emission; Tumors
• ISSN: 1838-7640; 1838-7640
• DOI: 10.7150/thno.36986

: Despite the promises of applying theranostic nanoagents for imaging-guided cancer therapy, the chronic retention of these nanoagents may cause safety concerns that hinder their future clinical applications. The metabolizable nanoagents with rapid renal excretion to avoid long-term toxicity is a possible solution for this issue. : Herein, we synthesize ultra-small metal-organic coordination polymer nanodots based on ruthenium ion (Ru ) / phenanthroline (Phen) (Ru-Phen CPNs) with superior near-infrared (NIR) absorption. The size, photothermal conversion, cytotoxicity, photoacoustic imaging, & cancer treatment efficiency and biosafety are tested. : The size of the ultra-small Ru-Phen CPNs is 6.5 nm. The photothermal conversion efficiency is measured to be ~ 60.69 %, much higher than that of previously reported photothermal agents. The Ru-Phen CPNs could be employed for photoacoustic (PA, 808 nm) imaging-guided photothermal therapy (PTT, 808 nm, 0.5 W/cm ) with great performance. Notably, the intrinsic PA signals (808 nm) of Ru-Phen CPNs are observed in kidneys of treated mice, illustrating efficient renal clearance of those ultra-small CPNs. Moreover, the clearance of CPNs is further confirmed by detecting Ru levels in urine and feces. : Our work presents a new type of ultra-small Ru-based CPNs with a record high photothermal conversion efficiency, efficient tumor retention after systemic administration, and rapid renal excretion to avoid long-term toxicity, promising for imaging-guided photothermal therapy.