Targeted Tumour Theranostics in Mice Via Carbon Quantum Dots Structurally Mimicking Large Amino Acids
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ARTICLES https://doi.org/10.1038/s41551-020-0540-y Targeted tumour theranostics in mice via carbon quantum dots structurally mimicking large amino acids Shuhua Li1,5, Wen Su 1,5, Hao Wu 1,5, Ting Yuan1, Chang Yuan1, Jun Liu2, Gang Deng2, Xingchun Gao2, Zeming Chen 2, Youmei Bao2, Fanglong Yuan1, Shixin Zhou3, Hongwei Tan1, Yunchao Li1, Xiaohong Li1, Louzhen Fan 1 ✉ , Jia Zhu 1 ✉ , Ann T. Chen4, Fuyao Liu2, Yu Zhou2, Miao Li2, Xingchen Zhai2 and Jiangbing Zhou 2,4 ✉ Strategies for selectively imaging and delivering drugs to tumours typically leverage differentially upregulated surface mol- ecules on cancer cells. Here, we show that intravenously injected carbon quantum dots, functionalized with multiple paired α-carboxyl and amino groups that bind to the large neutral amino acid transporter 1 (which is expressed in most tumours), selectively accumulate in human tumour xenografts in mice and in an orthotopic mouse model of human glioma. The function- alized quantum dots, which structurally mimic large amino acids and can be loaded with aromatic drugs through π–π stack- ing interactions, enabled—in the absence of detectable toxicity—near-infrared fluorescence and photoacoustic imaging of the tumours and a reduction in tumour burden after the targeted delivery of chemotherapeutics to the tumours. The versatility of functionalization and high tumour selectivity of the quantum dots make them broadly suitable for tumour-specific imaging and drug delivery. ancer is one of the most devastating diseases worldwide, with One promising approach to tumour-specific imaging and drug more than 14 million new cases every year. The incidence delivery leverages specific carrier transporters that are differentially of cancer is projected to continue to rise, with an estimated upregulated in cancer cells. Example transporters include large C 1 21.7 million new cases by 2030 (ref. ). In the current clinic, patients neutral amino acid transporter 1 (LAT1), alanine, serine, cysteine- with cancer typically receive a combination of treatments, includ- preferring transporter 2 (ASCT2) and glucose transporters11–14. ing surgical resection, chemotherapy and radiotherapy, which have In particular, LAT1—which mediates the transport of large neu- substantially increased the overall survival and quality of life of the tral amino acids—is promising, as it has been shown to be highly patients. However, the therapeutic effects of these treatments have expressed in a wide variety of tumours. In normal tissue, LAT1 is been greatly limited by their inability to selectively image and deliver expressed in only a few organs, including the placenta, BBB, spleen, therapeutics to tumours2,3. As a result, these treatments are unable testis and colon13. LAT1 has previously been targeted for cancer che- to maximize surgical resection or safely deliver chemotherapeutic motherapy using LAT1 inhibitors, such as 2-aminobicyclo-(2,2,1)- agents and radiotherapy without inducing significant side effects2,3. heptane-2-carboxylic acid (BCH)15. Unfortunately, BCH-mediated To enhance tumour-specific imaging and drug delivery, tar- chemotherapy has largely failed owing to a lack of potency and geted probes can be engineered through the conjugation of ligands specificity. BCH inhibits all four LATs, including LAT1, LAT2, that recognize receptor-like molecules, which are either highly LAT3 and LAT4, each of which has distinct physiological functions. expressed in cancer cells or enriched in the tumour microenviron- Effective inhibition of LAT1 requires high doses of BCH, which ment2. Although promising, this approach is limited4,5 by the rarity often induces significant toxicity15. LAT1 has also been targeted of molecules that are expressed in cancer cells but not in normal to enhance the delivery of chemotherapy drugs to tumours. It was tissues6,7 and, therefore, cargo agents can also accumulate in nor- shown that conjugation of aspartate enabled LAT1-mediated deliv- mal organs. Furthermore, cancers are typically heterogeneous ery, improving the accumulation of doxorubicin (DOX) in tumours across tissues and within tumours and are therefore unlikely to be by threefold to sixfold (ref. 16). successfully targeted using a single ligand6,7. The ligand–receptor Owing to their excellent biocompatibility, optical proper- approach is particularly limited for the imaging of brain tumours ties, drug loading capacity and low toxicity, carbon quantum dots and the delivery of drugs to them owing to the blood–brain barrier (CQDs) have recently emerged as a promising class of imaging (BBB)8–10. A strategy that enables selective imaging of solid tumours agents and drug carriers for various biomedical applications17–19. and the delivery of drugs to them, regardless of tumour origin and However, most of the previously reported CQDs suffer from non- location, is lacking. selective interactions with both tumour cells and normal cells17,18. 1College of Chemistry, Key Laboratories of Theoretical and Computational Photochemistry, and Radiopharmaceuticals, Ministry of Education, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China. 2Department of Neurosurgery, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA. 3Department of Cell Biology and Stem Cell Research Center, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing, China. 4Department of Biomedical Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA. 5These authors contributed equally: Shuhua Li, Wen Su, Hao Wu. ✉e-mail: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected] 704 NatURE BIOMEDIcal ENGINEERING | VOL 4 | July 2020 | 704–716 | www.nature.com/natbiomedeng NATURE BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING ARTICLES a b HOOC COOH O CH2COOH HOOC HOOCH2C O CH2COOH O NH HN 2 COOH HOOCH2C O NH2 HO OH HO OH N COOH N N HOOCH2C HOOC O CH2COOH NH2 H H H H O N N N COOH H N N HOOCH2C H H H O NH CA HN NH N N N 2 N O N N N N N 0.21 nm –6H O N N N N 180 °C 2 –nH2O N N N N H H H H N N N N N N N N O N –nCO2 N N N N N N N N N HN NH N N N N O N N N N N H N O 2 CH COOH N N H H H H O HOOC 2 N N N H H HOOCH2C COOH H N O 2 CH COOH N N 2 N HO OH HOOC H2N O N O N CH2COOH HOOC NH H H H N O H H HOOCH C O 2 CH2COOH 2 COOH HOOC TAAQ LAAM TC-CQDs c d e 230 nm 4 3 1.0 3 ) (AU) ) (AU) 4 4 2 0 650 nm 0 ×1 ×1 ( 280 nm ( 2 0.2 1 Absorption (AU) 1 Intensity PA signal 0 0 0 200400 600800 1,000 600700 800 900 650700 750 800850 Wavelength (nm) Wavelength (nm) Wavelength (nm) Fig. 1 | Synthesis and characterization of LAAM TC-CQDs. a, Schematic and hypothetical steps (dashed line) of LAAM TC-CQD synthesis. Red dashed circles represent dehydration; purple dashed boxes represent –NH– groups. b, TEM and HRTEM image (inset) of LAAM TC-CQDs. Scale bars, 10 nm and 1 nm (inset). c, Ultraviolet–vis absorption. Inset: appearance of LAAM TC-CQDs under daylight. d, Fluorescence emission spectrum with an excitation wavelength of 600 nm. Inset: appearance of LAAM TC-CQDs under an ultraviolet beam of 365 nm. e, PA signal intensity and imaging (inset) of LAAM TC- CQDs. Measurement was performed at a concentration of 2 μg ml−1 and at an excitation wavelength of 640–850 nm. AU, arbitrary units. Here, we report large amino acid mimicking CQDs (LAAM CQDs) the crystalline G band at 1,605 cm−1 is stronger than the disordered −1 for selective imaging and drug delivery to tumours, regardless of D band at 1,365 cm , with a G-to-D intensity ratio (IG/ID) of 1.4 the origin and location, but not to normal tissue. LAAM CQDs are (Supplementary Fig. 4). An analysis using atomic force microscopy a group of CQDs with paired α-carboxyl and amino groups on their identified that LAAM TC-CQDs have a typical topographic height edge, which trigger multivalent interactions with LAT1. We found of 0.943 nm (Supplementary Fig. 5), suggesting that most of LAAM that LAAM TC-CQDs—a type of LAAM CQDs that were synthe- TC-CQDs consist of 2–3 graphene layers. Analysis of the X-ray sized using 1,4,5,8-tetraminoanthraquinone (TAAQ) and citric acid powder diffraction pattern revealed a broad (002) peak centred at (CA)—are capable of near-infrared (NIR) fluorescence and photo- ~26° (Supplementary Fig. 6), confirming the graphene structure of acoustic (PA) imaging and can also image and deliver chemother- LAAM TC-CQDs. apy drugs to tumours, including tumours in the brain. In contrast We determined the molecular structure of LAAM TC-CQDs. to traditional CQDs, LAAM CQDs have the ability to selectively First, we determined the amount of amino acid groups on the image and deliver therapeutic agents to tumours. This finding may edge of each LAAM TC-CQD using the classical ninhydrin reac- suggest a promising approach to selectively imaging and delivering tion21. After incubation at 60 °C for 10 min, amino acid groups react therapeutic agents to tumours. with ninhydrin, leading to the formation of the purple-coloured product diketohydrindylidene diketohydrindamine, also known Results as Ruhemann’s purple (RP), which has a maximum absorption at Synthesis and characterization of LAAM TC-CQDs. LAAM 570 nm. By measuring the absorption of RP, one can therefore cal- TC-CQDs were synthesized by mixing TAAQ with CA in aque- culate the amount of amino acids. The ninhydrin reaction is unique ous solution, followed by hydrothermal treatment at 180 °C for 2 h in that the production of RP depends on the amount of primary (Fig. 1a). The reactant was purified using silica-gel column chroma- amino acid groups on the edge but not the structure of backbone, tography, resulting in a clear blue solution.