MET-targeted NIR II luminescence diagnosis and up-conversion guided photodynamic therapy for triple-negative breast cancer based on the lanthanide nanoprobes

In this research, degradable peptide-modified upconversion nanoparticles (ZUPEA) were designed for NIR II imaging and uponversion luminescence (UCL) guided photodynamic therapy (PDT) to triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). The ultra-small rare earth nanoparticles (RENP) and mPEG-PLGA polymer are polymerized into nano-microspheres by a double emulsion synthesis method, and a photosensitizer molecule (ZnPc) is added during the polymerization process to generate the ZUPEA. Under the 980 nm excitation, the synthesis strategy made the red emission at 650 nm enhanced and the transferred photosensitive efficiency of 38.3%, and the designed RENP has better NIR II imaging with core@shell structure. These ZUPEA nanoparticles have a good photodynamic therapeutic effect in vitro, and can be degraded into small nanoparticles with a size less than 6 nm. The cMBP peptide modified luminescent probes can recognize the in vivo MDA-MB-231 TNBC cells when intravenously injected due to the positive targeted imaging effect of cMBP peptide to the MET and the negative targeted imaging effect of enhanced permeability and retention (EPR) effect. This specially designed ZUPEA probe with integrated diagnosis and treatment provides new ideas and prospects for the use of rare earth nanoparticles in the clinical treatment of tumor.