A Glucosylated BODIPY Uses the GLUT Channel to Target Cancer Cells in In Vitro and In Vivo Models

TL;DR

This study introduces a glucosylated BODIPY that targets cancer cells using glucose transporters, showing potential for cancer imaging and treatment.

Contribution

A novel glucosylated BODIPY probe is developed for broad-spectrum cancer targeting via GLUT channels.

Findings

Glc-BODIPY effectively targets various cancer cell types in vitro.

The probe demonstrates tumor-targeting ability in in vivo models.

The use of d-glucose enhances targeting by exploiting cancer cell metabolism.

Abstract

The conjugation of
fluorescent probes to tumor-targeting molecules
represents a promising strategy for the development of precision cancer
bioimaging and treatment. Among the different tumor-targeting strategies,
the use of d-glucose residues, which exploit the high energy
demand of cancer cells, can enable recognition by a broad spectrum
of tumors, thus overcoming limitations related to cancer heterogeneity.
In this study, we combined the distinctive optical properties of BODIPY-based
probes with the known tumor-targeting abilities of d-glucose.
We report on the characterization of a glucosylated BODIPY, named Glc-BODIPY, and its ability to target different cancer cell
types in both in vitro and in vivo models.

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