A Nano-Isolation Strategy for Tumor-Activatable Photodynamic Therapy via Aggregation-Gated Type I Photosensitizers.

Ping Liang, Longcai Liu, Yucheng Liu, Yubo Liu, Hanyu Jia, Ben Zhong Tang, Guangxue Feng

Abstract read

In one paragraph

Article in Advanced materials (Deerfield Beach, Fla.), 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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5 · Who and what money

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7 authors.

Ping LiangGuangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Luminescence from Molecular Aggregates, State Key Laboratory of Luminescent Materials and Devices, School of Materials Science and Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China.

Longcai LiuGuangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Luminescence from Molecular Aggregates, State Key Laboratory of Luminescent Materials and Devices, School of Materials Science and Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China.

Yucheng LiuGuangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Luminescence from Molecular Aggregates, State Key Laboratory of Luminescent Materials and Devices, School of Materials Science and Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China.

Yubo LiuGuangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Luminescence from Molecular Aggregates, State Key Laboratory of Luminescent Materials and Devices, School of Materials Science and Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China.

Hanyu JiaGuangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Luminescence from Molecular Aggregates, State Key Laboratory of Luminescent Materials and Devices, School of Materials Science and Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China.

Ben Zhong TangGuangdong Basic Research Center of Excellence for Aggregate Science, School of Science and Engineering, Shenzhen Institute of Aggregate Science and Technology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong (Shenzhen), Shenzhen, China.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0293-964X

Guangxue FengGuangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Luminescence from Molecular Aggregates, State Key Laboratory of Luminescent Materials and Devices, School of Materials Science and Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4344-3517

Funding

Guangdong Basic and Applied Basic Research Foundation 2023B1515040003Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Luminescence from Molecular Aggregates 2023B1212060003Key-Area Research and Development Program of Guangdong Province 2024B0101040001National Natural Science Foundation of China 22595402National Natural Science Foundation of China 52473300

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is hampered by high oxygen dependence and off-target phototoxicity, and existing tumor-activatable strategies are severely plagued by the aggregation-induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) quenching post-activation. We herein resolve these challenges through pioneering a smart "nano-isolation" strategy, synergized with aggregatin-induced emission (AIE)-hemicyanine (Hcy) photosensitizers with an aggregation-gated ROS generation feature. Propelled-type AIE motifs were introduced to planar Hcy derivatives to construct twisted donor-π-acceptor photosensitizers, among which MTPAON with the largest conformational twist exhibited the best AIE effect and the highest ROS generation, predominantly generating less oxygen-dependent type I ROS. Crucially, MTPAON's ROS generation is gated by aggregation degree, where only tightly packed aggregates activate ROS generation. Leveraging this, we pioneered a "nano-isolation" strategy by encapsulating MTPAON in glutathione (GSH)-responsive nanoparticles at a high polymer ratio (SSPEG-7 NPs). This nano-isolation initially suppresses MTPAON's tight aggregation and silences ROS generation. Upon encountering tumor-overexpressed GSH, SSPEG-7 NPs disassemble and release MTPAON to form type I ROS-competent aggregates in tumor cells. SSPEG-7 NPs thus demonstrated promising antitumor performance under low-dose laser irradiation, while exhibiting negligible off-target phototoxicity to normal tissues. This "nano-isolation" strategy establishes a new paradigm for precision PDT: leveraging stimulus-triggered aggregation to spatially control PDT activation, thereby reconciling the conflict between systemic safety and therapeutic potency.

Indexed as

NanoparticlesPhotochemotherapyPhotosensitizing AgentsAnimalsCell Line, TumorGlutathioneHumansReactive Oxygen SpeciesGlutathionePhotosensitizing AgentsReactive Oxygen Speciesactivatable photosensitizersaggregation‐induced emissiondisassemblenano‐isolation engineeringphotodynamic therapy

Identifiers

PMID42335283

DOI10.1002/adma.73771

PMCPMC13410457

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.