Ultrabright NIR‐II Emissive Polymer Dots for Metastatic Ovarian Cancer Detection

Abstract

Abstract Intraoperative diagnosis of metastatic tumors is of significant importance to the treatment of ovarian cancer. NIR‐II fluorescence imaging holds great promise for facile detection of tumor in situ with high sensitivity and resolution. Herein, a kind of NIR‐II fluorescent polymer dots (NIR‐II Pdots) with high brightness is developed for real‐time detection of metastatic ovarian cancer via NIR‐II fluorescence imaging. The NIR‐II Pdots are constructed via the self‐assembly of NIR‐II emissive aggregation induced emission luminogens (NIR‐II AIEgens) and poly (styrene)‐graft‐poly(ethylene glycol) in water. Such NIR‐II Pdots show very high fluorophore contents of nearly 30% and high quantum yield of 5.4% at emission maximum near 1020 nm. Further modification of the NIR‐II Pdots with targeting peptides yields NIR‐II Pdots‐GnRH, which can afford enhanced affinity of NIR‐II Pdots to ovarian cancer. Upon intravenous injection of the NIR‐II Pdots, whole‐body organs and vessels, peritoneal and lymphatic metastases of ovarian cancer are clearly visualized by NIR‐II fluorescence imaging. Under the guidance of NIR‐II fluorescence imaging, the metastatic foci with the diameter down to ≈2 mm can be facilely eliminated. The results indicate preclinical potential value of the NIR‐II Pdots for metastatic ovarian cancer detection.

Keywords

• aggregation‐induced emission
• in vivo imaging
• NIR‐II fluorescence imaging
• ovarian cancer detection
• polymer dots