Nanographene-Based Polymeric Nanoparticles as Near-Infrared Emissive Neuronal Tracers.
basic_science · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 39668551.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1021/acsnano.4c10754 and PMC identifier 11673580.
- Licence recorded as CC BY.
- The licence permits redistribution, so the abstract is shown in full and the full text is available from the publisher.
Abstract
Precise tracking of axonal transport is key to deciphering neuronal functions. To achieve long-term imaging at both ultrastructural and macroscopic resolutions, it is critical to develop fluorescent transport tracers with high photostability and biocompatibility. Herein, we report the investigation of nanographene (NG)-based polymeric nanoparticles (NPs) as near-infrared (NIR)-emissive neuronal tracers. Dibenzo[<i>a</i>,<i>m</i>]dinaphtho[3,2,1-<i>ef</i>:1',2',3'-<i>hi</i>]coronene (DBDNC) was employed as the NG, which exhibited a broad NIR emission with a maximum at 711 nm inside the NPs. DBDNC-NPs displayed high photostability and low cytotoxicity, enabling live tracing of retrograde axonal transport in mouse sensory neurons cultured in microfluidic chambers. We also elucidated how DBDNC-NPs undergo retrograde axonal transport following the endolysosomal pathway. This work provides a proof of concept for NIR-emissive, NG-based neuronal tracers with potential for applications in neurobiology.
Medical subject headings
- Nanoparticles
- Polymers