Visualizing Lysosomal Positioning with a Fluorescent Probe Reveals a New Synergistic Anticancer Effect

The observation and discovery of lysosome dynamic alterations will greatly contribute to the in-depth understanding of lysosome biology and the development of new cancer therapeutics. To visualize lysosomal dynamics, here we have developed a lysosome-targetable fluorescent probe of NIM-3 showing integrated high selectivity, high photostability, and low cytotoxicity. With the aid of the excellent spatial and temporal imaging capability of NIM-3, three different types of motion of lysosomes were defined, and perinuclear accumulation of lysosomes in response to the pro-inflammatory cytokine stimulus was observed in various cells. More importantly, through lysosomal positioning studies, a new and potential anticancer therapy, i.e., the combination treatment of TNF alpha (tumor necrosis factor alpha) and chloroquine (CQ, a lysosomal pH elevator), was disclosed. The efficacy of the "CQ + TNF alpha" treatment was verified by different types of human cancer cells, and the anticancer mechanism may be partially attributed to lysosomal dilation.