In vivo theranostics with near-infrared-emitting carbon dots—highly efficient photothermal therapy based on passive targeting after intravenous administration
Open accessAbstract
Carbon dots that exhibit near-infrared fluorescence (NIR CDs) are considered emerging nanomaterials for advanced biomedical applications with low toxicity and superior photostability and targeting compared to currently used photoluminescence agents. Despite progress in the synthesis of NIR CDs, there remains a key obstacle to using them as an in vivo theranostic agent. This work demonstrates that the newly developed sulfur and nitrogen codoped NIR CDs are highly efficient in photothermal therapy (PTT) in mouse models (conversion efficiency of 59%) and can be readily visualized by photoluminescence and photoacoustic imaging. The real theranostic potential of NIR CDs is enhanced by their unique biodistribution and targeting. Contrary to all other nanomaterials that have been tested in biomedicine, they are excreted through the body’s renal filtration system. Moreover, after intravenous injection, NIR CDs are accumulated in tumor tissue via passive targeting, without any active species such as antibodies. Due to their accumulation in tumor tissue without the need for intratumor injection, high photothermal conversion, excellent optical and photoacoustic imaging performance, and renal excretion, the developed CDs are suitable for transfer to clinical biomedical practice.
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- Authors
- Bao, X., Yuan, Y., Chen, J., Zhang, B., Li, D., Zhou, D., Jing, P., Xu, G., Wang, Y., Holá, K., Shen, D., Wu, C., Song, L., Liu, C., Zbořil, R., & Qu, S.
- Affiliations
- Chinese Academy of Sciences (CN)
- Southern University of Science and Technology (CN)
- Jilin Province Tumor Hospital (CN)
- Regional Centre of Advanced Technologies and Materials (CZ)
- Corresponding author
- Liu, Chengbo
- Zbořil, Radek
- Qu, Songnan
- ORCID
- Venue
- Light: Science & Applications
- Published
- 2018-11-21
- Volume
- 7
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 91-91
- ISSN
- 2047-7538 (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC6249234
- OpenAlex
- W2901230454
- Cited by
- 445
- References
- 65
- Citations by year
- 2026: 40 · 2025: 49 · 2024: 64 · 2023: 70 · 2022: 68 · 2021: 67 · 2020: 47 · 2019: 40
- FWCI
- 14.36
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- gold
- doi.org
- Locations
- Light Science & Applications (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- National Natural Science Foundation of China (51602304, 91739117, 81527024, 61335001, 81771930)
- the Nanomaterials and Nanotechnologies for Environment Protection Project LO1305 of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports of the Czech Republic.
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Materials Science › Materials Chemistry › Carbon and Quantum Dots Applications
- Physical Sciences › Engineering › Biomedical Engineering › Nanoplatforms for cancer theranostics
- Physical Sciences › Engineering › Biomedical Engineering › Photoacoustic and Ultrasonic Imaging
- Keywords
- carbon dots, near-infrared fluorescence, photothermal therapy, theranostics, passive tumor targeting, renal excretion, tissue distribution, photoacoustic imaging, photoluminescence imaging, intravenous administration, tumor accumulation
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