DNA-Programmed (De)Hybridization of Near-Infrared Photosensitized UCNP-QDs-GNPs Nanoprobes for MicroRNA Imaging and Image-Guided Cancer Therapy

Accurate and sensitive analysis of cancer-associated microRNAs in living tissue is of great significance for the early diagnosis and treatment of cancer. Herein, a hierarchical nanoprobe denoted as UCNP-QDs-GNPs is delicately designed, where a near-infrared (NIR) absorptive upconversion nanoparticle (UCNP) serves as the core, broad-absorptive and bright emissive quantum dots (QDs) and emission-quencher gold nanoparticles (GNPs) surround as satellites for microRNA imaging and image-guided cancer therapy. Through the programmed assembly of heterobivalent DNA-conjugated QDs with DNA-modified GNPs and UCNPs, the well-defined nanostructured UCNP-QDs-GNPs are generated with quenched fluorescence. Upon encountering the microRNA-21 target, GNPs underwent catalytic disassembly, resulting in the concurrent recovery and amplification of fluorescence from QDs and UCNPs, which enabled sensitive imaging and quantification of microRNA-21 within living cells. Furthermore, dithiol-constituted aggregation-induced emission (AIE) photosensitizers bonded on the surface of QDs, are effectively photosensitized by the QDs. The NIR excitation harvested by UCNPs is therefore efficiently transferred to QDs and subsequently converged on the AIE photosensitizers, boosting photodynamic activity for image-guided therapy in deep-seated tumors. The DNA-programmed (de)hybridization strategy, facilitating the conversion of NIR excitation into imaging signals and photodynamic activity, offers a promising avenue for the early theranostics of malignancies. Through DNA-programmed (de)hybridization, a hierarchical nanoprobe UCNP-QDs-GNPs, bridged by heterobivalent DNA-conjugated QDs, can transfer near-infrared excitation to amplified fluorescence signal and enhanced photodynamic activity upon recognition of microRNA target. It enables sensitive imaging of low-abundance microRNA biomarkers and image-guided ablation of deep tumors, offering promises for early cancer diagnosis and treatment.image