High performance one-for-all phototheranostics: NIR-II fluorescence imaging guided mitochondria-targeting phototherapy with a single-dose injection and 808 nm laser irradiation

Abstract Current phototheranostics is still encountering various impediments, which causes complicated and prolonged therapy, and increases unnecessary side effects and systemic toxicity to patients. Herein, mitochondria-targeting one-for-all phototheranostic nanoparticles based on single-component organic molecule were designed and fabricated. After being irradiated with a single 808 nm laser, outstanding second near-infrared (NIR-II) fluorescence signals (with a high fluorescence quantum yield of 2.2% in water) were obtained for NIR-II fluorescence imaging, which could efficiently locate tumor and real-time monitor the therapeutic process. Moreover, such nanoparticles also presented superb photothermal conversion efficiency (39.6%) and singlet oxygen yield (2.3%, almost 12 times higher than clinical NIR dye indocyanine green) under 808 nm laser illumination, which could produce both potent hyperthermia and abundant singlet oxygen, resultantly leading to the mitochondrial dysfunction and further cell apoptosis. Both in vitro and in vivo investigations demonstrated that such nanoagents displayed significantly tumor theranostic efficacy, resulting from single 808 nm laser triggered high performance NIR-II fluorescence imaging guided mitochondria-targeting phototherapy. It was noteworthy that only a single-dose injection and 808 nm laser irradiation were employed during in vivo treatment. We believe that the phototheranostic nanoparticles developed in this work will open up a new dimension in cancer theranostics.