Recent advances in small molecule dye-based nanotheranostics for NIR-II photoacoustic imaging-guided cancer therapy

Abstract

Photoacoustic (PA) imaging in the second near-infrared (NIR-II) window has gained more and more attention in recent years and showed great potential in the field of bioimaging. Until now, numerous materials have been developed as contrast agents for NIR-II PA imaging. Among them, small molecule dyes hold unique advantages such as definite structures and capability of fast clearance from body. By virtue of these advantages, small molecule dyes-constructed nanoparticles have relatively small size and show promise in the clinical translation. Thus, in this minireview, we summarize recent advances in small molecule dyes-based nanotheranostics for NIR-II PA imaging and cancer therapy. Studies about NIR-II PA imaging-guided phototherapy are first introduced. Then, NIR-II PA imaging-guided phototherapy-based combination therapeutic systems are reviewed. Finally, the conclusion and perspectives of this field are summarized and discussed.

Fluorescence imaging-guided surgery: current status and future directions

“…Surface modification and targeting strategies have improved their performance for glioma detection. 122,123 Fluorophores with aggregation-induced emission (AIE) properties were explored for NIR-II imaging. AIE-based nanoparticles emitted NIR-II fluorescence at 897 nm and demonstrated high brightness and tumor-specific imaging capabilities.…”

A mini review on selenium quantum dots: synthesis and biomedical applications

“…Additionally, selenium is an essential co-contributor to the optimal function of the antioxidant enzyme glutathione peroxidase, thereby playing a crucial role as a redox regulator in maintaining cellular homeostasis. Consequently, SeQDs hold great potential for Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology frontiersin.org anticancer activity and pro-oxidation properties in the treatment of various diseases (Liu et al, 2020;Zhou et al, 2022a;Zhou et al, 2022b). The unique attributes of SeQDs enable them to be utilized both as a fluorescent probe and a therapeutic agent in practical applications.…”

Recent progress of second near-infrared (NIR-II) fluorescence microscopy in bioimaging

“…Small molecules are metabolized by the body without the production of additional metal ions. Dai et al ( Zhou et al, 2022 ) introduced a water-soluble nanoparticle fluorescent molecular probe with a donor-receptor-donor (D-A-D) skeleton, which showed good photostability and pharmacokinetics, pioneering the development of nanoparticle small-molecule fluorescent probes. Although small-molecule fluorophores have made great strides in NIR-II fluorescence imaging, most fluorophores are only used in small animals, and are still a long way from clinical application.…”