Dual‐Emissive Platinum(II) Metallacage with a Sensitive Oxygen Response for Imaging of Hypoxia and Imaging‐Guided Chemotherapy
Huangtianzhi Zhu, Qi Li, Bingbing Shi, Fujing Ge, Yuezhou Liu, Zhengwei Mao, Hong Zhu, Sheng Wang, Guocan Yu, Feihe Huang, Peter J. Stang
Abstract
metallacage with oxygen-responsive red phosphorescence and steady fluorescence for in vivo hypoxia imaging and chemotherapy is reported. The therapeutic agent and diagnostic probe were integrated into the metallacage through heteroligation-directed self-assembly. Nanoformulation by encapsulating the metallacage into nanoparticles greatly enhanced its stability the in physiological environment, rendering biomedical applications feasible. Apart from enhanced red phosphorescence upon hypoxia, the ratio between red and blue emissions, which only varies with intracellular oxygen level, provides a more precise standard for hypoxia imaging and detection. Moreover, in vivo explorations demonstrate the promising potential applications of the metallacage-loaded nanoparticles as theranostic agents for tumor hypoxia imaging and chemotherapy.