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Lysosome-targetable selenium-doped carbon nanodots for in situ scavenging free radicals in living cells and mice

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Abstract

Lysosome-targetable selenium-doped carbon nanodots (Lyso-Se-CDs) that can efficiently scavenge lysosomal •OH in living cells and mice were designed in this research. Se-CDs with redox-responsive fluorescence (λex = 379 nm, λem = 471 nm, quantum yield = 7.1%) were initially synthesized from selenocystine by a facile hydrothermal method, followed by the surface modification with morpholine, a lysosome targeting moiety. The as-synthesized Lyso-Se-CDs exhibited excellent colloidal stability, efficient scavenging abilities towards •OH, low biotoxicity, as well as good biocompatibility and lysosome targetability. Due to these desirable properties, Lyso-Se-CDs had been successfully utilized for rescuing cells from elevated lysosomal •OH levels. More importantly, Lyso-Se-CDs efficiently relieved phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) triggered ear inflammation in live mice. These findings reveal that Lyso-Se-CDs are potent candidates for treating •OH-related inflammation.

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Funding

The authors gratefully thank the Zhejiang Provincial Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. LQ20B050003) and Grant from the Scientific Research Start-up Project Foundation of Jiaxing University (CD70519012).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Materials Science and Engineering, Donghua University, Shanghai, 201620, China

    Danling Zhou, Junrong Yu & Zuming Hu

  2. College of Biological Chemical Sciences and Engineering, Jiaxing University, Jiaxing, 314001, China

    Hong Huang

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  1. Danling Zhou
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  2. Hong Huang
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  4. Zuming Hu
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Correspondence to Hong Huang or Zuming Hu.

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This article is part of the Topical Collection on Nanomaterials for biomedical imaging and targeting

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Zhou, D., Huang, H., Yu, J. et al. Lysosome-targetable selenium-doped carbon nanodots for in situ scavenging free radicals in living cells and mice. Microchim Acta 188, 223 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00604-021-04883-1

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