Issue 20, 2024

An ALP-responsive, anionic iridium complex for specific recognition of osteosarcoma cells

Abstract

Poor cellular permeability greatly hampers the utilization of anionic Ir(III) complexes, though efficiently emissive and remarkably stable, in cell-based diagnosis. To overcome this barrier, we present the development of an alkaline phosphatase (ALP)-responsive, anionic, and aggregation-induced emission (AIE)-active Ir(III) complex (Ir1) for specific recognition of osteosarcoma cells. Containing phosphate moieties, Ir1 exhibits a net −1 charge, enabling charge repulsion from the cell membrane and resulting in low cellular uptake and good biocompatibility in normal osteoblast cells. Upon ALP-mediated hydrolysis of phosphate groups, the resulting dephosphorylated product, Ir2, demonstrates a positive charge and increased lipophilicity, promoting cellular uptake and activating its AIE properties for specific recognition of osteosarcoma cells that express elevated levels of ALP. This study elucidates the role of ALP as an ideal trigger for enhancing the cellular permeability of phosphate ester-containing Ir(III) complexes, thus expanding the potential of anionic Ir(III) complexes for biomedical applications.

Graphical abstract: An ALP-responsive, anionic iridium complex for specific recognition of osteosarcoma cells

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
26 Feb 2024
Accepted
22 Apr 2024
First published
23 Apr 2024

Dalton Trans., 2024,53, 8633-8641

An ALP-responsive, anionic iridium complex for specific recognition of osteosarcoma cells

S. Shen, S. Nong, X. Zhang, J. Song, C. Meng, X. Liu, L. Shao, G. Li and L. Xu, Dalton Trans., 2024, 53, 8633 DOI: 10.1039/D4DT00568F

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