On-site activated diiodostyryl bodipy conjugated HA nanoparticles with specific targets synthesized via self-assembly were used for the suppression of tumor growth and exact tumor diagnosis with reduced side effects.

Reducing the energy gap of photosensitizerb etween singlet and triplet states (DE ST )c an improvet he efficiency of intersystem crossing, furthere nhancingt he resulting generation of reactive oxygen species for photodynamic therapy.I nt his study, two photosensitizer chromophores-phenyl-substituted diketopyrrolopyrrole and thienyl-substituted diketopyrrolopyrrole (TDPP)-weres ynthesized.T heoretical calculations indicate that TDPP can greatlyr educe the DE ST (0.48 eV) relative to that of diketopyrrolopyrrole (0.66 eV). Experiments confirmed that TDPP generates reactive oxygen speciesm ore efficiently than diketopyrrolopyrrole. After conjugation of TDPP with methoxy poly(ethylene glycol)carboxyl (mPEG-COOH), the resulting TDPP-mPEG has excellentw ater solubility,b iocompatibility and photostability.W hen it serves as photosensitizer for photodynamic therapy,i nvitro and in vivo measurements indicatet hat TDPP-mPEG can effectively inhibit tumor growth and shows great potential for the treatment of cancer in the clinic.

Correction for ‘Tumor-targeting, enzyme-activated nanoparticles for simultaneous cancer diagnosis and photodynamic therapy’ by Huaxia Shi et al., J. Mater. Chem. B, 2016, 4, 113–120, https://doi.org/10.1039/C5TB02041G.