Cubic upconversion nanoparticles used as the theranostic system for the treatment and diagnosis of angiogenesis-related diseases

Abstract

Biocompatible nanostructures offer new pathways to overcome the obstacles in conventional anti-angiogenic therapy such as drug accumulation and therapeutic efficiency. However, current technology is limited by the bioavailability of therapeutics and the obstruction of imaging. Theranostic nanoparticles have been developed to bridge the gap between imaging and therapeutic delivery. In this paper, a theranostic system made of cubic lanthanide-based upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) has been developed. The average length of the cubic UCNPs is estimated at 53 ± 13 nm. The fluorescence intensity of the emission peaks of UNCPs in the visible range is dependent on the power of the excitation at a region of near-infrared (NIR), λex = 980 nm. In addition, cell imaging has demonstrated that the UNCPs conjugated with anti-VEGF antibodies show significant anti-angiogenic effects which are even stronger than their anti-VEGF counterpart. With the capabilities of both anti-angiogenic effects and cell imaging, the UCNPs-antiVEGF is a promising theranostic model at the nanoscale for the treatment and diagnosis of angiogenesis-related diseases .