Theranostic Application of Peroxyoxalate Chemiluminescence (POCL) Nanomedicine

Abstract

Over the years, theranostic nanoplatforms have demonstrated great potential in targeting tumor microenvironments, particularly because of their unique dual properties of selective activation and feedback signal. In this work, a theranostic nanoparticle system for peroxyoxalate chemiluminescence (POCL) reaction incorporating CPPO and rubrene was developed for intracellular imaging and starvation-dependent cytotoxicity. The POCL-loaded NPs produced a high chemiluminescent signal in the cells, demonstrating that intracellular imaging was achieved without external excitation light. The starvation condition increased the level of intracellular ROS in MRC-5 and MDA-MB-231 cells by about 3-fold compared to the normal condition. The POCL-loaded NPs were found to be non-toxic under normal conditions but induced a significant reduction in cell viability under starvation conditions to about 30%. This is consistent with the ROS-responsive POCL activation, which triggered the chemiluminescent reaction to generate intracellular carbon dioxide (CO2), causing energy supply disruption via mitochondrial dysfunction. Overall highlighting the potential of the POCL-based CO2 therapy for targeting the tumor environment.