Long-Term Near-Infrared Signal Tracking of the Therapeutic Changes of Glioblastoma Cells in Brain Tissue with Ultrasound-Guided Persistent Luminescent Nanocomposites.

The blood-brain barrier (BBB) is a physical barrier that selectively prevents certain substances from entering the brain through the blood. The BBB protects the brain from germs and causes difficulty in intracranial treatment. The chemotherapy drug temozolomide (TMZ), embedded in nanobubbles (NBs) and combined with persistent luminescent nanoparticles (PLNs), has been used to treat glioblastoma (GBM) effectively through image tracking. Through ultrasound induction, NBs produce cavitation that temporarily opens the BBB. Additionally, the PLNs release near-infrared emission and afterglow, which can penetrate deep tissues and improve the signal-to-noise ratio of bioimages. In this work, the nanosystem crossed the BBB for drug delivery and image tracking over time, allowing the enhancement of the drug's therapeutic effect on GBM. We hope that this nanosystem can be applied to the treatment of different brain diseases by embedding different drugs in NBs.