TY - JOUR
T1 - Conjugated ternary doped carbon dots from vitamin B derivative
T2 - Multispectral nanoprobes for targeted melanoma bioimaging and photosensitization
AU - Nasrin, Aklima
AU - Hassan, Mahbub
AU - Mann, Graham
AU - Gomes, Vincent G.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2019 Elsevier B.V.
PY - 2020/1
Y1 - 2020/1
N2 - Multi-color emissive carbon dots (CDs) with intrinsic ternary doping were synthesized by a hydrothermal process from a single precursor, vitamin B1 derivative, thiamine pyrophosphate or ThPP. The origin of the multi-color photoluminescence was ascribed to the hybrid doping (N, S, P) in a carbon framework. The subsequent conjugation of CDs with folic acid (FA) enabled targeted bioimaging and photosensitization of the human melanoma cancer cells, SK-MEL28. The unique excitation-dependent multi-color emission of CD-FA probes allowed wide spectral resolution and targeting for amplified whole cell bioimaging including the nucleus. The photosensitization of cancer cells in the multi-color window was accomplished in a deep tissue cell culture setting. The synthesized CD-FAs showed excellent biocompatibility, photostability, and notably, their cellular targeting with enhanced uptake by folate receptor positive (FR+) cancer cells, SK-MEL28 over folate receptor negative (FR-), HEK293T ones in a co-culture model having both diseased and normal cells. The results demonstrate excellent potential for melanoma diagnostic, mapping and phototherapeutic applications with multi-spectral sensitivity.
AB - Multi-color emissive carbon dots (CDs) with intrinsic ternary doping were synthesized by a hydrothermal process from a single precursor, vitamin B1 derivative, thiamine pyrophosphate or ThPP. The origin of the multi-color photoluminescence was ascribed to the hybrid doping (N, S, P) in a carbon framework. The subsequent conjugation of CDs with folic acid (FA) enabled targeted bioimaging and photosensitization of the human melanoma cancer cells, SK-MEL28. The unique excitation-dependent multi-color emission of CD-FA probes allowed wide spectral resolution and targeting for amplified whole cell bioimaging including the nucleus. The photosensitization of cancer cells in the multi-color window was accomplished in a deep tissue cell culture setting. The synthesized CD-FAs showed excellent biocompatibility, photostability, and notably, their cellular targeting with enhanced uptake by folate receptor positive (FR+) cancer cells, SK-MEL28 over folate receptor negative (FR-), HEK293T ones in a co-culture model having both diseased and normal cells. The results demonstrate excellent potential for melanoma diagnostic, mapping and phototherapeutic applications with multi-spectral sensitivity.
KW - Bioimaging
KW - Carbon dots
KW - Melanoma
KW - Multi-color emission
KW - Therapeutics
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85073507502&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.jlumin.2019.116811
DO - 10.1016/j.jlumin.2019.116811
M3 - Article
SN - 0022-2313
VL - 217
JO - Journal of Luminescence
JF - Journal of Luminescence
M1 - 116811
ER -