A tumour mRNA-triggered nanoassembly for enhanced fluorescence imaging-guided photodynamic therapy

摘要

A multifunctional theranostic nanoplatform, which integrates diagnostic and therapeutic functions in a single nanosystem, holds great promise for guiding disease treatment and improving the corresponding therapy efficacy. We report the development of a novel g-C(3)N(4)nanosheet-based theranostic nanoassembly for both enhanced imaging of cancer-relevant mRNA in living cells and imaging-guided on-demand photodynamic therapy (PDT) for tumors. The nanoassembly was constructed by using highly fluorescent and water-dispersible g-C(3)N(4)nanosheets which act as nanocarriers, enabling efficient and self-tracking transfection of the DNA hairpin probes. The presence of intracellular mRNA will initiate the DNA hairpin probes, ultimately resulting in an amplified fluorescence signalviahybridization and displacement with mRNA. Moreover, enhanced fluorescence imaging-guided precise PDT for tumors in living cells was also demonstrated, allowing the selective ablation of tumors without any obvious side effects. Therefore, the developed theranostic approach can provide a promising platform for low-abundance biomarker discovery and early treatment of related diseases.