Programmable In Vivo Synthesis of Quantum Dots
Abstract
ABSTRACT In vivo synthesis of quantum dots (QDs) is fundamentally hindered by the inability to control the spatiotemporal coupling of ionic precursors in living organisms. Herein, we present a s patially h ierarchical i ntegrated n anosynth e sizer (SHINE, FtAg@SS/SiO 2 ‐Se) for the programmable biosynthesis of silver selenide (Ag 2 Se) QDs within tumors. The SHINE integrates a ferritin encapsulating silver source with a custom‐synthesized selenium source, localized on a physically isolated glutathione (GSH)‐responsive silica shell doped with disulfide bonds. Crucially, the thickness of such a shell has provided precise trigger time control over the synthesis. Upon entry into the tumor microenvironment, the elevated GSH triggers a sequential cascade: cleavage of the diselenide bonds generates reactive selenium species, followed by rupture of the silica shell to release the silver‐loaded ferritin, thereby enabling spatially and temporally controlled in situ synthesis of Ag 2 Se QDs. The SHINE has been validated for high‐contrast bioimaging in the second near‐infrared window in live mice. Furthermore, the synthesis process and the resulting QDs orchestrate a synergistic antitumor effect by depleting GSH to enhance oxidative stress and conferring potent photothermal conversion, leading to significant tumor suppression. This work establishes a generalizable strategy for the controlled fabrication of functional nanomaterials in vivo.
Article Details
Authors (12)
Jianhong Jia
State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Frontiers Science Center for New Organic Matter, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Biosensing and Molecular Recognition, Research Center for Analytical Sciences, College of Chemistry, Frontiers Science Center for Cell Responses, Haihe Laboratory of Sustainable Chemical Transformations, and Engineering Research Center of Thin Film Optoelectronics Technology (Ministry of Education)
Qianyu Liu
Ran Li
Wei Zhao
Xia Zong
Frontiers Science Center for New Organic Matter Research Center for Analytical Sciences College of Chemistry State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology Tianjin Key Laboratory of Biosensing and Molecular Recognition College of Life Sciences Frontiers Science Center for Cell Responses National Demonstration Center for Experimental Chemistry Education Nankai University Tianjin P. R. China
Yan‐Yan Chen
Frontiers Science Center for New Organic Matter Research Center for Analytical Sciences College of Chemistry State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology Tianjin Key Laboratory of Biosensing and Molecular Recognition College of Life Sciences Frontiers Science Center for Cell Responses National Demonstration Center for Experimental Chemistry Education Nankai University Tianjin P. R. China
Juan Kong
College of Chemistry and Molecular Sciences, The Institute for Advanced Studies
Xiaoyu Zhang
Fei Ding
Xinglu Huang
An‐An Liu
Frontiers Science Center for New Organic Matter Research Center for Analytical Sciences College of Chemistry State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology Tianjin Key Laboratory of Biosensing and Molecular Recognition College of Life Sciences Frontiers Science Center for Cell Responses National Demonstration Center for Experimental Chemistry Education Nankai University Tianjin P. R. China
Dai‐Wen Pang
Frontiers Science Center for New Organic Matter Research Center for Analytical Sciences College of Chemistry State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology Tianjin Key Laboratory of Biosensing and Molecular Recognition College of Life Sciences Frontiers Science Center for Cell Responses National Demonstration Center for Experimental Chemistry Education Nankai University Tianjin P. R. China