A Highly Efficient Tumor‐Targeting Nanoprobe with a Novel Cell Membrane Permeability Mechanism

• DOI: 10.1002/adma.201807456
• Publication Date: 2019-01-25T07:47:10Z
• Authors: Zhendong Lei; Lin Ding; Chenjie Yao; Fengfeng Mo; Chenchen Li; Yanan Huang; Xuelian Yin; Min Li; Jinliang Liu; Yong Zhang; Changquan Ling; Yanli Wang
• Keywords: Cell Nucleus; Mice, Inbred BALB C; 0303 health sciences; Cell Membrane Permeability; Cell Survival; Surface Properties; Cell Membrane; Optical Imaging; Mice; 03 medical and health sciences; Cell Line, Tumor; Neoplasms; Animals; Humans; Nanoparticles; Female; Graphite; Tissue Distribution; Particle Size; Single-Cell Analysis; Fluorescent Dyes; Signal Transduction

AbstractEfficient tumor targeting has been a great challenge in the clinic for a very long time. The traditional targeting methods based on enhanced permeability and retention (EPR) effects show only an ≈5% targeting rate. To solve this problem, a new graphene‐based tumor cell nuclear targeting fluorescent nanoprobe (GTTN), with a new tumor‐targeting mechanism, is developed. GTTN is a graphene‐like single‐crystalline structure amphiphilic fluorescent probe with a periphery that is functionalized by sulfonic and hydroxyl groups. This probe has the characteristic of specific tumor cell targeting, as it can directly cross the cell membrane and specifically target to the tumor cell nucleus by the changed permeability of the tumor cell membranes in the tumor tissue. This new targeting mechanism is named the cell membrane permeability targeting (CMPT) mechanism, which is very different from the EPR effect. These probes can recognize tumor tissue at a very early stage and track the invasion and metastasis of tumor cells at the single cell level. The tumor‐targeting rate is improved from less than 5% to more than 50%. This achievement in efficient and accurate tumor cell targeting will speed up the arrival of a new era of tumor diagnosis and treatment.