Mitochondrial metabolism is essential for tumorigenesis, and the development of cancer is usually accompanied by alternations of mitochondrial function. Emerging studies have demonstrated that targeting mitochondria and mitochondrial metabolism is an effective strategy for cancer therapy. In this work, eight phosphorescent organometallic rhenium(I) complexes have been synthesized and explored as mitochondria-targeted theranostic agents, capable of inducing and tracking the therapeutic effect simultaneously. Complexes 1b–4b can quickly and efficiently penetrate into A549 cells, specifically localizing within mitochondria, and their cytotoxicity is superior to cisplatin against the cancer cells screened. Notably, complex 3b [Re(CO)3(DIP) (py-3-CH2Cl)]+ containing thiol-reactive chloromethylpyridyl moiety for mitochondria immobilization shows higher cytotoxicity and selectivity against cancer cells than other Re(I) complexes without mitochondria-immobilization properties. Mechanistic studies show that complexes 1b–4b induce a cascade of mitochondria-dependent events including mitochondrial damage, mitochondrial respiration inhibition, cellular ATP depletion, reactive oxygen species (ROS) elevation, and caspase-dependent apoptosis. By comparison, mitochondria-immobilized 3b causes more effective repression of mitochondrial metabolism than mitochondrial-nonimmobilized complexes. The excellent phosphorescence and O2-sensitive lifetimes of mitochondria-immobilized 3b can be utilized for real-time tracking of the morphological changes of mitochondria and mitochondrial respiration repression during therapy process, accordingly providing reliable information for understanding anticancer mechanisms.Keywords: metabolism repression; mitochondria dysfunction; mitochondria immobilization; organometallic rhenium complex; PLIM; theranostic;

Mitochondrial metabolism is essential for tumorigenesis, and the development of cancer is usually accompanied by alternations of mitochondrial function. Emerging studies have demonstrated that targeting mitochondria and mitochondrial metabolism is an effective strategy for cancer therapy. In this work, eight phosphorescent organometallic rhenium(I) complexes have been synthesized and explored as mitochondria-targeted theranostic agents, capable of inducing and tracking the therapeutic effect simultaneously. Complexes 1b–4b can quickly and efficiently penetrate into A549 cells, specifically localizing within mitochondria, and their cytotoxicity is superior to cisplatin against the cancer cells screened. Notably, complex 3b [Re(CO)3(DIP) (py-3-CH2Cl)]+ containing thiol-reactive chloromethylpyridyl moiety for mitochondria immobilization shows higher cytotoxicity and selectivity against cancer cells than other Re(I) complexes without mitochondria-immobilization properties. Mechanistic studies show that complexes 1b–4b induce a cascade of mitochondria-dependent events including mitochondrial damage, mitochondrial respiration inhibition, cellular ATP depletion, reactive oxygen species (ROS) elevation, and caspase-dependent apoptosis. By comparison, mitochondria-immobilized 3b causes more effective repression of mitochondrial metabolism than mitochondrial-nonimmobilized complexes. The excellent phosphorescence and O2-sensitive lifetimes of mitochondria-immobilized 3b can be utilized for real-time tracking of the morphological changes of mitochondria and mitochondrial respiration repression during therapy process, accordingly providing reliable information for understanding anticancer mechanisms.Keywords: metabolism repression; mitochondria dysfunction; mitochondria immobilization; organometallic rhenium complex; PLIM; theranostic;

New TEMPO-functionalized Ru(II) polypyridyl complexes were synthesized as efficient theranostic photosensitizers for cancer treatment. Interestingly, due to the presence of a redox sensitive TEMPO moiety, an enhancement in the intracellular fluorescence of TEMPO-functionalized Ru(II) complexes was observed during photodynamic treatment in both confocal microscopy and flow cytometry. This can be explained by the conversion of the TEMPO radical moiety to diamagnetic non-radical species in cells upon PDT-induced oxidative stress. To the best of our knowledge this is the first ruthenium complex capable of simultaneously inducing and monitoring the oxidative stress. The tethered TEMPO moiety decreased the inherent dark-cytotoxicity and increased the photo-toxicity simultaneously, both of which contributed to the greatly improved photodynamic therapy (PDT) efficacy, ultimately resulting in cancer cell apoptosis. The phototoxicity index value for TEMPO-functionalized Ru(II) complexes was selective towards cancer cell lines (280.5 for HeLa cells vs. 30.2 for LO2 cells) and ca. 40-fold higher than that for TEMPO-free Ru(II) analogues (6.7 for HeLa cells). The main contributor for such a greatly enhanced PDT efficacy was the effect of the TEMPO moiety on the cellular uptake and intracellular ROS levels. We therefore demonstrate that the combination of TEMPO with the photosensitizers may be an emerging strategy to develop novel photosensitizer-based theranostic platforms, which can induce and monitor the PDT response simultaneously.

New TEMPO-functionalized Ru(II) polypyridyl complexes were synthesized as efficient theranostic photosensitizers for cancer treatment. Interestingly, due to the presence of a redox sensitive TEMPO moiety, an enhancement in the intracellular fluorescence of TEMPO-functionalized Ru(II) complexes was observed during photodynamic treatment in both confocal microscopy and flow cytometry. This can be explained by the conversion of the TEMPO radical moiety to diamagnetic non-radical species in cells upon PDT-induced oxidative stress. To the best of our knowledge this is the first ruthenium complex capable of simultaneously inducing and monitoring the oxidative stress. The tethered TEMPO moiety decreased the inherent dark-cytotoxicity and increased the photo-toxicity simultaneously, both of which contributed to the greatly improved photodynamic therapy (PDT) efficacy, ultimately resulting in cancer cell apoptosis. The phototoxicity index value for TEMPO-functionalized Ru(II) complexes was selective towards cancer cell lines (280.5 for HeLa cells vs. 30.2 for LO2 cells) and ca. 40-fold higher than that for TEMPO-free Ru(II) analogues (6.7 for HeLa cells). The main contributor for such a greatly enhanced PDT efficacy was the effect of the TEMPO moiety on the cellular uptake and intracellular ROS levels. We therefore demonstrate that the combination of TEMPO with the photosensitizers may be an emerging strategy to develop novel photosensitizer-based theranostic platforms, which can induce and monitor the PDT response simultaneously.

New TEMPO-functionalized Ru(II) polypyridyl complexes were synthesized as efficient theranostic photosensitizers for cancer treatment. Interestingly, due to the presence of a redox sensitive TEMPO moiety, an enhancement in the intracellular fluorescence of TEMPO-functionalized Ru(II) complexes was observed during photodynamic treatment in both confocal microscopy and flow cytometry. This can be explained by the conversion of the TEMPO radical moiety to diamagnetic non-radical species in cells upon PDT-induced oxidative stress. To the best of our knowledge this is the first ruthenium complex capable of simultaneously inducing and monitoring the oxidative stress. The tethered TEMPO moiety decreased the inherent dark-cytotoxicity and increased the photo-toxicity simultaneously, both of which contributed to the greatly improved photodynamic therapy (PDT) efficacy, ultimately resulting in cancer cell apoptosis. The phototoxicity index value for TEMPO-functionalized Ru(II) complexes was selective towards cancer cell lines (280.5 for HeLa cells vs. 30.2 for LO2 cells) and ca. 40-fold higher than that for TEMPO-free Ru(II) analogues (6.7 for HeLa cells). The main contributor for such a greatly enhanced PDT efficacy was the effect of the TEMPO moiety on the cellular uptake and intracellular ROS levels. We therefore demonstrate that the combination of TEMPO with the photosensitizers may be an emerging strategy to develop novel photosensitizer-based theranostic platforms, which can induce and monitor the PDT response simultaneously.

New TEMPO-functionalized Ru(II) polypyridyl complexes were synthesized as efficient theranostic photosensitizers for cancer treatment. Interestingly, due to the presence of a redox sensitive TEMPO moiety, an enhancement in the intracellular fluorescence of TEMPO-functionalized Ru(II) complexes was observed during photodynamic treatment in both confocal microscopy and flow cytometry. This can be explained by the conversion of the TEMPO radical moiety to diamagnetic non-radical species in cells upon PDT-induced oxidative stress. To the best of our knowledge this is the first ruthenium complex capable of simultaneously inducing and monitoring the oxidative stress. The tethered TEMPO moiety decreased the inherent dark-cytotoxicity and increased the photo-toxicity simultaneously, both of which contributed to the greatly improved photodynamic therapy (PDT) efficacy, ultimately resulting in cancer cell apoptosis. The phototoxicity index value for TEMPO-functionalized Ru(II) complexes was selective towards cancer cell lines (280.5 for HeLa cells vs. 30.2 for LO2 cells) and ca. 40-fold higher than that for TEMPO-free Ru(II) analogues (6.7 for HeLa cells). The main contributor for such a greatly enhanced PDT efficacy was the effect of the TEMPO moiety on the cellular uptake and intracellular ROS levels. We therefore demonstrate that the combination of TEMPO with the photosensitizers may be an emerging strategy to develop novel photosensitizer-based theranostic platforms, which can induce and monitor the PDT response simultaneously.