The present invention relates to new molecular design that allows micelles to report their activation and disassembly by an enzymatic trigger. The molecular design is based on introduction of a labeling moiety selected from a fluorescent dye, a dark quencher, combinations of dyes or dyes/quenchers, and a fluorinated moiety (a 19F-magenetic resonance (MR) probe for turn ON/OFF of a 19F-MR signal) through covalent binding to the focal point of amphiphilic polymer-dendron hybrids with the labeling moiety. At the assembled micellar state, the dyes are closely packed and hence the probability for intermolecular interactions increases significantly, leading to alteration of the fluorescent properties (signal quench or shift) or the 19F-MR signal (OFF state) of the micelles. Upon enzymatic cleavage of the hydrophobic end-groups from enzyme-responsive dendron, the polymers become hydrophilic and disassemble. This structural change is then translated into a spectral change as dye-dye interactions are halted and the dyes regain their intrinsic fluorescent properties, or alternatively by turn ON the 19F-MR signal. The high modularity of the design allows the introduction of various types of dyes and thus enables rational adjustment of the spectral response. Two major types of responses are described: Turn-On/Off and spectral shift, depending on the type of labeling dye. The present invention further provides methods of use of the hybrid delivery system and to a kit comprising the same.
本发明涉及一种新的分子设计,可使胶束在酶触发下报告其活化和分解情况。分子设计的基础是通过与两亲性聚合物-树枝杂交体的焦点共价结合,从荧光
染料、暗淬火剂、
染料或
染料/淬火剂的组合以及含
氟分子(用于打开/关闭 19F-MR 信号的 19F 遗传共振(MR)探针)中引入标记分子。在组装胶束状态下,
染料紧密排列,因此分子间相互作用的概率大大增加,从而导致胶束的荧光特性(信号淬灭或偏移)或 19F-MR 信号(关闭状态)发生变化。当酶反应树枝状突起的疏
水末端基团被酶裂解时,聚合物就会变得亲
水并分解。这种结构变化会转化为光谱变化,因为
染料与
染料之间的相互作用会停止,
染料会恢复其固有的荧光特性,或者打开 19F-MR 信号。设计的高度模块化允许引入各种类型的
染料,从而对光谱响应进行合理调整。下面介绍两种主要的响应类型:开启/关闭和光谱偏移,取决于标记
染料的类型。本发明进一步提供了混合投递系统的使用方法以及包含该系统的试剂盒。