2. Academic Validation
  3. Development of a self-assembling aggregation-induced emission nanoprobe for targeted therapy and real-time imaging in non-small cell lung cancer

Development of a self-assembling aggregation-induced emission nanoprobe for targeted therapy and real-time imaging in non-small cell lung cancer

  • J Photochem Photobiol B. 2026 May:278:113402. doi: 10.1016/j.jphotobiol.2026.113402.
Zhen Ren 1,  Shuai Li 2,  Tong Cui 2,  Tianjie Zhu 2,  Dapeng Ding 3,  Jingyuan Zhao 4,  Hong Yuan 5
Affiliations

Affiliations

  • 1 Central Hospital of Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, Liaoning, China; Faculty of Medicine, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, Liaoning, China.
  • 2 Central Hospital of Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, Liaoning, China.
  • 3 Department of Clinical Laboratory Medicine, First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, Liaoning, China. Electronic address: [email protected].
  • 4 Central Hospital of Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, Liaoning, China. Electronic address: [email protected].
  • 5 Central Hospital of Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, Liaoning, China. Electronic address: [email protected].
PMID: 41793940 DOI: 10.1016/j.jphotobiol.2026.113402
Abstract

Non-small cell lung Cancer (NSCLC) remains a leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide, characterized by poor prognosis and high relapse rates due to the limited therapeutic efficacy and tumor specificity of existing treatments. In this study, we developed a novel self-assembling aggregation-induced emission (AIE)-based nanomaterial (AIEnp) designed to target c-Met, a receptor tyrosine kinase that plays a critical role in tumor progression and resistance in NSCLC. The AIEnp system exhibits dual functionality: it enables fluorescence tracing for real-time imaging and provides targeted c-Met inhibition for therapeutic intervention. In vitro experiments demonstrated that AIEnp significantly reduced the viability of A549 lung adenocarcinoma cells in a concentration-dependent manner, while exhibiting minimal cytotoxicity toward HEK293T somatic cells. Mechanistically, AIEnp downregulated c-Met expression and its downstream signaling pathways, including FAK, MAPK, Raf, and STAT, thereby effectively disrupting multiple oncogenic cascades. The AIE-based design facilitated tumor-specific accumulation and fluorescence tracing, addressing the limitations of poor tumor penetration and non-specific distribution commonly observed in conventional therapies. These findings suggest that AIEnp represents a promising multifunctional platform for NSCLC treatment, combining targeted therapy with real-time imaging capabilities. Future studies will focus on in vivo validation and exploring the potential of AIEnps in combination therapies to further enhance their clinical applicability.

Keywords

Aggregation-induced emission; Non-small cell lung cancer; Self-assembling; c-Met.

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