Cellular and mitochondrial dual-targeted nanoprobe with near-infrared emission for activatable tumor imaging and photodynamic therapy

Abstract A nanotheranostic system integrating activatable photoactivity and dual targeting modalities is significant for bioimaging and biomedicine. In this study, a dual-targeting and tumor microenvironment responsive nanoassembly for imaging of HAase and PDT of tumor was developed. The synthesized water-soluble cationic porphyrin act as both the mitochondrion targeting photosensitizer and crosslinking agent to trigger the formation of HA-Mito TPP nanoparticle via the electrostatic interaction with hyaluronic acid. The nanoassembly could be efficiently endocytosed into targeted tumor cells and activated both fluorescence signal and enhanced PDT effect by highly expressed HAase. In vitro experiments suggested that the reported assay had desirable selectivity and excellent anti-interference for HAase quantitative analysis. The live cell studies showed the HA-Mito TPP had obviously enhanced PDT efficiency and caused mitochondria damage. Therefore, the developed dual-targeting nanotheranostic system provide a promising platform for bioanalysis and imaging guided photodynamic therapy.