Highly Crystalline Multicolor Carbon Nanodots for Dual-Modal Imaging-Guided Photothermal Therapy of Glioma

Abstract

Imaging-guided site-specific photothermal therapy (PTT) of glioma and other tumors in central nervous system presents a great challenge for the current nanomaterial design. Herein, an in situ solid-state transformation method was developed for the preparation of multicolor highly crystalline carbon nanodots (HCCDs). The synthesis yields 6-8 nm-sized HCCDs containing a highly crystalline carbon nanocore and a hydrophilic surface, which therefore simultaneously provide strong photoacoustic and photothermal performances as well as tunable fluorescence emission. In vitro and in vivo results demonstrate that the novel HCCDs have high water dispersity and good biocompatibility, but potent tumor cell killing upon near-infrared irradiation. As demonstrated in U87 glioma-bearing mice, HCCDs specifically accumulate in brain tumors and facilitate dual-modal imaging-guided PTT, with therapeutic antitumoral effects without any apparent damage to normal tissues.

Hyperthermia treatment advances for brain tumors

“…These characteristics reflect their heterogeneity on their electron number and configuration which in turn determine their light absorption and heat emission rates [208]. PTAs with high NIR absorbance rate that have displayed antineoplastic effects in GBM experimental models include carbon nanotubes [207,[212][213][214], carbon nanodots [215], gold nanorods [209,216,217], gold nanoshells [217,218], gold nanospheres [219], gold nanostars [52,220], silk fibroin nanoparticles [221], silicon based nanoparticles [222] and iron-oxide carbon core-shell nanoparticles [210].…”

“…Immune cells provide an additional method for the targeted delivery of PTAs. Monocytes and macrophages have been studied as potential vehicles, due to their capacity to phagocytize large doses of PTAs and their ability to cross the BBB and migrate toward tumor infiltrated tissues [188] Preclinical Human GBM (U251) Cetuximab (C225)-encapsulated core-shell Fe 3 O 4 @Au magnetic nanoparticles Qian et al [215] Preclinical Human GBM (U87-MG) Multicolor highly crystalline carbon nanodots (HCCDs) Tsai et al [235] Preclinical Rodent glioma (ALTS1C1) Angiopep-2/cholesterol-conjugated poly(ethylene glycol) oleic acidcoated upconversion nanoparticles (ANG-IMNPs) Wang et al [210] Preclinical Rodent glioma (C6) Iron oxide-carbon core-shell nanoparticles Xu et al [221] [ 208,228]. Nevertheless, this method of targeted delivery has been only studied in vitro [217,218].…”

Leveraging the interplay of nanotechnology and neuroscience: Designing new avenues for treating central nervous system disorders

“…Qian et al have recently synthesized a carbon nanodot that serves as an imaging agent with fluorescence that can be tuned based on the carbon crystallization process, as well as photoacoustic properties for high resolution in vivo imaging and photothermal properties that kill tumor cells when exposed to higher power near-IR lasers (Fig. 8) [220]. The fluorescence and photoacoustic properties of the HCCD allowed for precise photothermal treatment at the appropriate time point and brain region in a mouse model of glioma following systemic administration.…”

Radionuclide 188Re‐Loaded Photothermal Hydrogel for Cancer Theranostics

“…Due to the high specificity, noninvasiveness, low toxicity to normal tissues, photothermal therapy (PTT) employing generated heat from the absorbed optical energy to ablate cancer has attracted attention as an alternative to traditional cancer treatment . Various inorganic phototherapeutic materials including gold nanomaterials and carbon nanomaterials, with strong transformation from near‐infrared (NIR) laser light into thermal energy, have shown encouraging therapeutic efficacy in preclinical animal experiments . However, those inorganic nanomaterials are not biodegradable and could retain in the body of mice for a long time.…”