Dye-Sensitized Core/Active Shell Upconversion Nanoparticles for Optogenetics and Bioimaging Applications

The regulation of cellular signaling in vivo has been a challenging task owing to the lack of effective methods for tunable control of the amplitude, location, and duration of cell-signaling events at a deep-tissue level. In this issue of ACS Nano, an intriguing paper by Ambrosone et al. demonstrates that deep-tissue-penetrating near-infrared (NIR) light can be used to control the Wnt/β-catenin-signaling pathway in a single-cell organism (Hydra) by utilizing microcapsules that contain plasmonic gold nanoparticles. In parallel, in recent work, we proposed upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) as NIR-light-activatable “wireless” optogenetic tools, and we showed their ability to modulate cell signaling pathways in both mammalian cells and mice. We believe that these interesting NIR-light-responsive nanotechnologies will open new avenues for both basic research and clinical applications.

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Section: Figurementioning

confidence: 99%

Illuminating Cell Signaling with Near-Infrared Light-Responsive Nanomaterials

Yuanwei

Huang

et al. 2016

ACS Nano

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“…Currently activated through fibre optics or optoelectronics 95 , the possibility of using CL from radiotracers to activate precise anatomical locations could allow non-invasive, targeted optogenetics, with precise spectrum emissions possible through combination with nanoparticles to enhance the Cerenkov signal significantly. Indeed, nanoparticles have recently been used in optogenetics 96 , but combination with CL has yet to be achieved.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Utilizing the power of Cerenkov light with nanotechnology

2017

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The characteristic blue glow of Cerenkov luminescence (CL) arises from the interaction between a charged particle travelling faster than the phase velocity of light and a dielectric medium, such as water or tissue. As CL emanates from a variety of sources, such as cosmic events, particle accelerators, nuclear reactors and clinical radionuclides, it has been used in applications such as particle detection, dosimetry, and medical imaging and therapy. The combination of CL and nanoparticles for biomedicine has improved diagnosis and therapy, especially in oncological research. Although radioactive decay itself cannot be easily modulated, the associated CL can be through the use of nanoparticles, thus offering new applications in biomedical research. Advances in nanoparticles, metamaterials and photonic crystals have also yielded new behaviours of CL. Here, we review the physics behind Cerenkov luminescence and associated applications in biomedicine. We also show that by combining advances in nanotechnology and materials science with CL, new avenues for basic and applied sciences have opened.

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“…All these applications benefit from the distinguished merits of UCNPs, including tunable excitation, narrow band emissions, large anti-Stokes shifts, long lifetimes, superior stability, low toxicity, weak fluorescence background [11][12][13][14]. In addition, the absorption range of UCNPs can be broadened and the upconversion efficiency can be boosted using NIR dye-sensitized UCNPs [15][16][17][18]. Superior to other kinds of fluophores, UCNPs has the unique property of multiple excitation bands and holds the potential to achieve simultaneous deep microscopic and macroscopic upconversion imaging.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Designed Er^3+-singly doped NaYF_4 with double excitation bands for simultaneous deep macroscopic and microscopic upconverting bioimaging

Wen

Wang

et al. 2016

Biomed. Opt. Express

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Simultaneous deep macroscopic imaging and microscopic imaging is in urgent demand, but is challenging to achieve experimentally due to the lack of proper fluorescent probes. Herein, we have designed and successfully synthesized simplex Er 3+ -doped upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) with double excitation bands for simultaneous deep macroscopic and microscopic imaging. The material structure and the excitation wavelength of Er 3+ -singly doped UCNPs were further optimized to enhance the upconversion emission efficiency. After optimization, we found that NaYF 4 :30%Er 3+ @NaYF 4 :2%Er 3+ could simultaneously achieve efficient two-photon excitation (2PE) macroscopic tissue imaging and three-photon excitation (3PE) deep microscopic when excited by 808 nm continuous wave (CW) and 1480 nm CW lasers, respectively. In vitro cell imaging and in vivo imaging have also been implemented to demonstrate the feasibility and potential of the proposed simplex Er 3+ -doped UCNPs as bioprobe. #264009Received 29 Nd 3+ -sensitized upconversion nanostructures for photodynamic therapy and simultaneous fluorescence imaging," Nanoscale 7(1), 190-197 (2015).

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Dye-Sensitized Core/Active Shell Upconversion Nanoparticles for Optogenetics and Bioimaging Applications

Cited by 416 publications

References 45 publications

Illuminating Cell Signaling with Near-Infrared Light-Responsive Nanomaterials

Illuminating Cell Signaling with Near-Infrared Light-Responsive Nanomaterials

Utilizing the power of Cerenkov light with nanotechnology

Designed Er^3+-singly doped NaYF_4 with double excitation bands for simultaneous deep macroscopic and microscopic upconverting bioimaging

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