Enzyme-Responsive Fluorescent Labeling Strategy for In Vivo Imaging of Gut Bacteria.

Myrosinase (Myr), as a unique ß-thioglucosidase enzyme capable of converting natural and gut bacterial metabolite glucosinolates into bioactive agents, has recently attracted a great deal of attention because of its essential functions in exerting homeostasis dynamics and promoting human health. Such nutraceutical and biomedical significance demands unique and reliable strategies for specific identification of Myr enzymes of gut bacterial origin in living systems, whereas the dearth of methods for bacterial Myr detection and visualization remains a challenging concern. Herein, we present a series of unique molecular probes for specific identification and imaging of Myr-expressing gut bacterial strains. Typically, an artificial glucosinolate with an azide group in aglycone was synthesized and sequentially linked with the probe moieties of versatile channels through simple click conjugation. Upon gut bacterial enzymatic cleavage, the as-prepared probe molecules could be converted into reactive isothiocyanate forms, which can further act as reactive electrophiles for the covalent labeling of gut bacteria, thus realizing their localized fluorescent imaging within a wide range of wavelength channels in live bacterial strains and animal models. Overall, our proposed method presents a novel technology for selective gut bacterial Myr enzyme labeling in vitro and in vivo. We envision that such a rational probe design would serve as a promising solution for chemoprevention assessment, microflora metabolic mechanistic study, and gut bacterium-mediated physiopathological exploration.

A Nitroreductase-activatable Metabolic Reporter for Covalent Labeling of Pathological Hypoxic Cells in Tumorigenesis.

Aberrant hypoxic stress will initiate a cascade of pathological consequence observed prominently in tumorigenesis. Understanding of hypoxia's role in tumorigenesis is  highly essential for developing effective therapeutics, which necessitates reliable tools to specifically distinguish hypoxic tumor cells (or tissues) and correlate their dynamics with the status of disease in complex living settings for precise theranostics. So far, disparate hypoxia-responsive probe molecules and prodrugs were designed via chemical or enzymatic reactions, yet their capability in real-time reporting pathogenesis development is often compromised due to unrestricted diffusion and less selectivity towards the environmental responsiveness. Herein we present an oxygen-insensitive nitroreductase (NTR)-activatable glycan metabolic reporter (pNB-ManNAz) capable of covalently labeling hypoxic tumor cells and tissues. Under pathophysiological hypoxic environments, the caged non-metabolizable precursor pNB-ManNAz exhibited unique responsiveness to cellular NTR, culminating in structural self-immolation and the resultant ManNAz could incorporate onto cell surface glycoproteins, thereby facilitating fluorescence labeling via bioorthogonal chemistry. This NTR-responsive metabolic reporter demonstrated broad applicability for multicellular hypoxia labeling, particularly in the dynamic monitoring of orthotopic tumorigenesis and targeted tumor phototherapy in vivo. We anticipate that this approach holds promise for investigating hypoxia-related pathological progression, offering valuable insights for accurate diagnosis and treatment.

Enzymes in Synergy: Bacteria Specific Molecular Probe for Locoregional Imaging of Urinary Tract Infection in vivo.

Uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPECs) is a leading cause for urinary tract infections (UTI), accounting for 70-90 % of community or hospital-acquired bacterial infections owing to high recurrence, imprecision in diagnosis and management, and increasing prevalence of antibiotic resistance. Current methods for clinical UPECs detection still rely on labor-intensive urine cultures that impede rapid and accurate diagnosis for timely UTI therapeutic management. Herein, we developed a first-in-class near-infrared (NIR) UPECs fluorescent probe (NO-AH) capable of specifically targeting UPECs through its collaborative response to bacterial enzymes, enabling locoregional imaging of UTIs both in vitro and in vivo. Our NO-AH probe incorporates a dual protease activatable moiety, which first reacts with OmpT, an endopeptidase abundantly present on the outer membrane of UPECs, releasing an intermediate amino acid residue conjugated with a NIR hemicyanine fluorophore. Such liberated fragment would be subsequently recognized by aminopeptidase (APN) within the periplasm of UPECs, activating localized fluorescence for precise imaging of UTIs in complex living environments. The peculiar specificity and selectivity of NO-AH, facilitated by the collaborative action of bacterial enzymes, features a timely and accurate identification of UPECs-infected UTIs, which could overcome misdiagnosis in conventional urine tests, thus opening new avenues towards reliable UTI diagnosis and personalized antimicrobial therapy management.

Near Infrared-II Photothermal and Colorimetric Synergistic Sensing for Intelligent Onsite Dietary Myrosinase Profiling.

Myrosinase (Myr) is a type of critical ß-thioglucosidase enzyme activator essential for sustaining many functional foods to perform their health-promoting functions. An accurate and reliable Myr test is meaningful for food quality and dietary nutrition assessments, whereas the currently reported methods do not guarantee specificity and have high reliance on instrumentation, which are not suitable for rapid and onsite Myr screening especially in complex systems from various sources. Herein, we present a unique NIR-II absorption-based photothermal-responsive colorimetric biosensor for anti-interference onsite Myr determination and realization of rapid visualized outputs with the aid of smartphone calculation. Typically, assisted by glucose oxidase (GOx), Myr specifically converts the sinigrin substrate into hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) that can oxidize 3,3',5,5'-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) catalyzed by AuNPs to form a charge transfer complex (CTC) with NIR-II absorption and photothermal characters. Delightfully, such a proposed method is able to determine Myr within a wide range of 0 to 172.5 mU/mL with a detection limit down to 2.96 mU/mL. Moreover, simple, rapid, and real-time visual Myr identification in actual food-sourced samples could also be readily achieved by smartphone readout processing, with the promising advantages of anti-interference, high accuracy, and low cost as well as labor-saving and intelligence engagement, thus providing great feasibility for precise measurement in complex and dynamic dietary sample analysis. Overall, our proposed method presents a novel technology for onsite dietary Myr enzyme profiling, which is promising to be applied in the food industry for nutritional composition profiles, freshness evaluation, and quality assessment.

Detection of Reactive Oxygen and Nitrogen Species by Upconversion Nanoparticle-Based Near-Infrared Nanoprobes: Recent Progress and Perspectives.

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS) are essential oxidative metabolites of organisms, which are closely related to physiological, pathological and pharmacological processes. The accurate detection of ROS/RNS is important for the understanding of biological processes, monitoring of pharmacological effects, and predicting the course of disease. The recently developed NIR nanoprobes based on upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) hold great prospects in sensitive and deep-tissue detection of ROS/RNS, and considerable progress has been achieved so far. In this review, we systematically summarize the up-to-date advances of UCNPs-based near-infrared (NIR) probes for ROS/RNS sensing, and the potential challenges and perspectives for further research are also highlighted. We envision that such a research field will have a bright future for modern biomedical applications.

Screening of multifunctional fruit carbon dots for fluorescent labeling and sensing in living immune cells and zebrafishes.

Nine kinds of carbon dots (CDs) were synthesized by using fruits with different varieties as carbon sources; meanwhile, the fluorescence characteristics, quantum yield, and response ability to different metal ions and free radicals were systematically studied. These CDs showed similar excitation and emission spectral ranges (λex ≈ 345 nm, λem ≈ 435 nm), but very different fluorescence quantum yield (QY), in which orange and cantaloupe CDs have the highest QY around 0.25 and green plum CDs showed the lowest quantum yield around 0.1. Interestingly, the fluorescence of all of these CDs can be significantly quenched by hydroxyl radical (•OH) and iron ion (Fe3+); however, these CDs showed very different response characteristics to other metal ions (e.g., Co2+, Ni2+, Cu2+, Ce3+, Mn2+, Ag+, and Fe2+). Through in-depth analysis, we found some interesting patterns of the influence of carbon sources on the fluorescence characteristics of CDs. Finally, by using white pitaya CDs as fluorescence probe, we realized sensing of Fe3+ and •OH with limits of detection (LOD) of 19.4 µM and 0.7 µM, respectively. Moreover, the CDs were also capable for sensitive detection in immune cells and even in zebrafishes. Our work can provide valuable guidance for the rational design of functional CDs for biological applications.

Uncovering the Metabolic Origin of Aspartate for Tumor Growth Using an Integrated Molecular Deactivator.

Reprogrammed glucose metabolism is vital for cancer cells, but aspartate, an intermediate metabolic product, is the limiting factor for cancer cell proliferation. However, due to the complexity of metabolic pathways, it remains unclear whether glucose is the primary source of endogenous aspartate. Here, we report the design of an innovative molecular deactivator, based on a multifunctional upconversion nanoprobe, to explore the link between glucose and aspartate. This molecular deactivator mainly works in the acidic, hypoxic tumor microenvironment and deactivates multiple types of glucose transporters on cancer cell membranes upon illumination at 980 nm. Cancer cell proliferation in vivo is strongly inhibited by blocking glucose transporters. Our experimental data confirm that the cellular synthesis of aspartate for tumor growth is glucose-dependent. This work also demonstrates the untapped potential of molecularly engineered upconversion nanoprobes for discovering hidden metabolic pathways and improving therapeutic efficacy of conventional antitumor drugs.

Diazapentabenzocorannulenium: A Hydrophilic/Biophilic Cationic Buckybowl.

Polycyclic aromatic molecules are promising functional materials for a wide range of applications, especially in organic electronics. However, their largely hydrophobic nature has impeded further applications. As such, imparting high solubility/hydrophilicity to polycyclic aromatic molecules leads to a breakthrough in this research field. Herein, we report the synthesis of diazapentabenzocorannulenium, a cationic nitrogen-embedded buckybowl bearing a central imidazolium core, by a bottom-up strategy from polycyclic aromatic azomethine ylide. X-ray crystallography analyses have revealed a bowl-shaped molecular structure that is capable of forming charge-segregated one-dimensional columns by bowl-in-bowl packing. In addition to its fluorescence capabilities and high dispersibility in water, the molecule was found to selectively localize in the mitochondria of various tumor cells, showing potential as viable mitochondria-selective fluorescent probes.

Cyanine-Dyad Molecular Probe for the Simultaneous Profiling of the Evolution of Multiple Radical Species During Bacterial Infections.

Real-time monitoring of the evolution of bacterial infection-associated multiple radical species is critical to accurately profile the pathogenesis and host-defense mechanisms. Here, we present a unique dual wavelength near-infrared (NIR) cyanine-dyad molecular probe (HCy5-Cy7) for simultaneous monitoring of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RONS) variations both in vitro and in vivo. HCy5-Cy7 specifically turns on its fluorescence at 660 nm via superoxide or hydroxyl radical (O2.- , . OH)-mediated oxidation of reduced HCy5 moiety to Cy5, while peroxynitrite or hypochlorous species (ONOO- , ClO- )-induced Cy7 structural degradation causes the emission turn-off at 800 nm. Such multispectral but reverse signal responses allow multiplex manifestation of in situ oxidative and nitrosative stress events during the pathogenic and defensive processes in both bacteria-infected macrophage cells and living mice. Most importantly, this study may also provide new perspectives for understanding the bacterial pathogenesis and advancing the precision medicine against infectious diseases.

Metallic Nanoparticle-Enabled Sensing of a Drug-of-Abuse: An Attempt at Forensic Application.

γ-Hydroxybutyric acid (GHB) functions as a depressant on the central nerve system and serves as a pharmaceutical agent in the treatment of narcolepsy and alcohol withdraw. In recent years, GHB has been misused as a recreational drug due to its ability to induce euphoric feelings. Moreover, it has gained increasing attention as a popular drug of abuse that is frequently related to drug-facilitated sexual assaults. At the moment, detection methods based on chromatography exhibit extraordinary sensitivity for GHB sensing. However, such techniques require complicated sample treatment prior to analysis. Optical sensors provide an alternative approach for rapid and simple analysis of GHB samples. Unfortunately, currently reported probes are mostly based on hydrogen bonding to recognize GHB, and this raises concerns about, for example, the lack of specificity. In this work, we report a bioinspired strategy for selective sensing of GHB. The method is based on specific enzyme recognition to allow highly selective detection of GHB with minimum interference, even in a complex sample matrix (e. g., simulated urine). In addition, the result can be obtained by either quantitative spectroscopy analysis or colorimetric change observed by the naked-eye, thus demonstrating its potential application in drug screening and forensic analysis.

Spatiotemporal-Controlled Reporter for Cell-Surface Proteolytic Enzyme Activity Visualization.

Live-cell imaging of cell-surface-associated proteolytic enzymes is crucial to understand their biological roles and functions in both physiological and pathological processes. However, the complexity of the cell membrane environment increases difficulties in specifically investigating targeted proteolytic activities within the microenvironment. Towards this end, a unique, photoremovable, furin-responsive peptide probe that can undergo spatiotemporal control through UV-light illumination has been designed and synthesized to aid in visualizing the activity of a cell-surface-associated protease enzyme, furin, in live cells. Prior to light irradiation, the photolabile moiety, 4,5-dimethoxy-2-nitrobenzyl, in the peptide sequence of the reporter will block furin-like enzymatic hydrolysis, and thus, no fluorescence will be observed. Upon simple light illumination, photolysis will occur, thereby revealing the uncaged peptide probe, which can undergo enzyme hydrolysis and lead to an increase in fluorescence signal; this allows the real-time imaging of endogenous cell-surface-associated furin-like enzyme function in living cells through precise spatial and temporal resolution.

BMP-2-Loaded HAp:Ln3+ (Ln = Yb, Er, Gd) Nanorods with Dual-Mode Imaging for Efficient MC3t3-E1 Cell Differentiation Regulation.

Effective bone tissue reconstitution improves the treatment success rate of dental implantation and preserves natural teeth during periodontal tissue repair. Hydroxyapatite (HAp) has received much attention in bone remodeling field because its mineralized structure is similar to that of the natural bone tissue. For this reason, it has been used as a carrier for growth factors. Although HAp possesses outstanding biomedical properties, its capacity of loading and releasing bone growth factors and promoting osteogenesis is not well understood. In this study, Ln3+ (Ln = Yb3+, Er3+, Gd3+)-doped HAp (HAp:Ln3+) nanorods were synthesized by one-step hydrothermal method. To improve its biocompatibility and surface properties, bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2) was loaded onto the surface of HAp:Ln3+ nanorods. The results showed that BMP-2 incorporation promoted bone formation and enhanced the expression of early bone-related gene and protein (RunX2, SP7, OPN). In addition, Yb3+- and Er3+-doped HAp nanorods were examined by upconversion luminescence with 980 nm near-infrared laser irradiation to monitor the delivery position of BMP-2 protein. Furthermore, due to the positive magnetism correlated with the concentration of Gd3+, HAp:Ln3+ with enhanced contrast brightening can be deemed as T1 MIR contrast agents. These findings indicate that HAp doped with rare-earth ions and loaded with BMP-2 has the potential to promote bone tissue repair and execute dual-mode imaging.

Enabling Mitochondrial Uptake of Lipophilic Dications Using Methylated Triphenylphosphonium Moieties.

Triphenylphosphonium (TPP+) species comprising multiple charges, i.e., bis-TPP+, are predicted to be superior mitochondrial-targeting vectors and are expected to have mitochondrial accumulations 1000-fold greater than TPP+, the current "gold standard". However, bis-TPP+ vectors linked by short hydrocarbon chains ( n < 5) are unable to be taken up by the mitochondria, thus hindering their development as mitochondrial delivery vectors. Through the incorporation of methylated TPP+ moieties (T*PP+), we successfully enabled the accumulation of bis-TPP+ with a short linker chain in isolated mitochondria, as measured by high performance liquid chromatography. These experimental results are further supported by molecular dynamics and ab initio calculations, revealing the strong correlations between mitochondria uptake and molecular volume, surface area, and chemical hardness. Most notably, the molecular volume has been shown to be a strong predictor of accumulation for both mono- and bis-TPP+ salts. Our study underscores the potential of T*PP+ moieties as alternative mitochondrial vectors to overcome low permeation into the mitochondria.

Semiconducting Photothermal Nanoagonist for Remote-Controlled Specific Cancer Therapy.

Nanomedicine have shown success in cancer therapy, but the pharmacological actions of most nanomedicine are often nonspecific to cancer cells because of utilization of the therapeutic agents that induce cell apoptosis from inner organelles. We herein report the development of semiconducting photothermal nanoagonists that can remotely and specifically initiate the apoptosis of cancer cells from cell membrane. The organic nanoagonists comprise semiconducting polymer nanoparticles (SPNs) and capsaicin (Cap) as the photothermally responsive nanocarrier and the agonist for activation of transient receptor potential cation channel subfamily V member 1 (TRPV1), respectively. Under multiple NIR laser irradiation at the time scale of seconds, the nanoagonists can repeatedly and locally release Cap to multiply activate TRPV1 channels on the cellular membrane; the cumulative effect is the overinflux of ions in mitochondria followed by the induction of cell apoptosis specifically for TRPV1-postive cancer cells. Multiple transient activation of TRPV1 channels is essential to induce such a cell death both in vitro and in vivo because both free Cap and simple Cap-encapsulated nanoparticles fail to do so. The photothermally triggered release also ensures a high local concentration of the TRPV1 agonist at tumor site, permitting specific cancer cell therapy at a low systemic administration dosage. Our study thus demonstrates the first example of ion-channel-specific and remote-controlled drug-delivery system for cancer cell therapy.

Extracellular Vesicle Directed Exogenous Ion Channel Transport for Precise Manipulation of Biological Events.

A larger number of human diseases are related to dysregulation or loss of cellular functions. Effective restoration of the missing or defective cellular functions is highly desirable for fundamental research and therapeutic applications. Inspired by the fantastic feature of cell-derived extracellular vesicles (EVs) that can transport various bioactive molecules between cells, herein, we developed a simple and efficient strategy based on EVs for transferring ion channels to recipient cells, thereby conferring specific biological function to the target cells and regulating the biological events. The constructed channel rhodopsin 2 (ChR2)-loaded EV (EV-ChR2) system can mediate the anchor of light-responsive ion channel ChR2 on the plasma membrane of recipient cells through membrane fusion. Upon blue light irradiation, the ion channel ChR2 was activated and opened, thus permitting the rapid flux of cation ions (e.g., calcium ion) across the plasma membrane of recipient cells. Moreover, the increased Ca2+ in the cytosol could effectively activate Ca2+-dependent transcription factors, further triggering the calcium signaling pathway. This strategy can be extended to modulate other cellular processes and provides a novel insight on the manipulation of biological events.

Recent Advances of Membrane-Cloaked Nanoplatforms for Biomedical Applications.

In terms of the extremely small size and large specific surface area, nanomaterials often exhibit unusual physical and chemical properties, which have recently attracted considerable attention in bionanotechnology and nanomedicine. Currently, the extensive usage of nanotechnology in medicine holds great potential for precise diagnosis and effective therapeutics of various human diseases in clinical practice. However, a detailed understanding regarding how nanomedicine interacts with the intricate environment in complex living systems remains a pressing and challenging goal. Inspired by the diversified membrane structures and functions of natural prototypes, research activities on biomimetic and bioinspired membranes, especially for those cloaking nanosized platforms, have increased exponentially. By taking advantage of the flexible synthesis and multiple functionality of nanomaterials, a variety of unique nanostructures including inorganic nanocrystals and organic polymers have been widely devised to substantially integrate with intrinsic biomoieties such as lipids, glycans, and even cell and bacteria membrane components, which endow these abiotic nanomaterials with specific biological functionalities for the purpose of detailed investigation of the complicated interactions and activities of nanomedicine in living bodies, including their immune response activation, phagocytosis escape, and subsequent clearance from vascular system. In this review, we summarize the strategies established recently for the development of biomimetic membrane-cloaked nanoplatforms derived from inherent host cells (e.g., erythrocytes, leukocytes, platelets, and exosomes) and invasive pathogens (e.g., bacteria and viruses), mainly attributed to their versatile membrane properties in biological fluids. Meanwhile, the promising biomedical applications based on nanoplatforms inspired by diverse moieties, such as selective drug delivery in targeted sites and effective vaccine development for disease prevention, have also been outlined. Finally, the potential challenges and future prospects of the biomimetic membrane-cloaked nanoplatforms are also discussed.

Enhanced Cellular Ablation by Attenuating Hypoxia Status and Reprogramming Tumor-Associated Macrophages via NIR Light-Responsive Upconversion Nanocrystals.

Near-infrared (NIR) light-mediated photodynamic therapy (PDT), especially based on lanthanide-doped upconversion nanocrystals (UCNs), have been extensively investigated as a promising strategy for effective cellular ablation owing to their unique optical properties to convert NIR light excitation into multiple short-wavelength emissions. Despite the deep tissue penetration of NIR light in living systems, the therapeutic efficiency is greatly restricted by insufficient oxygen supply in hypoxic tumor microenvironment. Moreover, the coexistent tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) play critical roles in tumor recurrence during the post-PDT period. Herein, we developed a unique photosensitizer-loaded UCNs nanoconjugate (PUN) by integrating manganese dioxide (MnO2) nanosheets and hyaluronic acid (HA) biopolymer to improve NIR light-mediated PDT efficacy through attenuating hypoxia status and synergistically reprogramming TAMs populations. After the reaction with overproduced H2O2 in acidic tumor microenvironment, the MnO2 nanosheets were degraded for the production of massive oxygen to greatly enhance the oxygen-dependent PDT efficiency upon 808 nm NIR light irradiation. More importantly, the bioinspired polymer HA could effectively reprogram the polarization of pro-tumor M2-type TAMs to anti-tumor M1-type macrophages to prevent tumor relapse after PDT treatment. Such promising results provided the great opportunities to achieve enhanced cellular ablation upon NIR light-mediated PDT treatment by attenuating hypoxic tumor microenvironment, and thus facilitated the rational design of new generations of nanoplatforms toward immunotherapy to inhibit tumor recurrence during post-PDT period.

Recent Progress in Near Infrared Light Triggered Photodynamic Therapy.

Nowadays, photodynamic therapy (PDT) is under the research spotlight as an appealing modality for various malignant tumors. Compared with conventional PDT treatment activated by ultraviolet or visible light, near infrared (NIR) light-triggered PDT possessing deeper penetration to lesion area and lower photodamage to normal tissue holds great potential for in vivo deep-seated tumor. In this review, recent research progress related to the exploration of NIR light responsive PDT nanosystems is summarized. To address current obstacles of PDT treatment and facilitate the effective utilization, several innovative strategies are developed and introduced into PDT nanosystems, including the conjugation with targeted moieties, O2 self-sufficient PDT, dual photosensitizers (PSs)-loaded PDT nanoplatform, and PDT-involved synergistic therapy. Finally, the potential challenges as well as the prospective for further development are also discussed.

Site-Specific Dual Functionalization of Cysteine Residue in Peptides and Proteins with 2-Azidoacrylates.

Herein, we report use of 2-azidoacrylates to perform site-specific dual functionalization of the cysteine residue of peptides and bovine serum albumin (BSA), a native protein containing one free cysteine residue. The sulfhydryl group of the cysteine residue could be conjugated with 2-azidoacrylates bearing various functionalities, such as fluorescent dyes under physiological aqueous buffer conditions, to afford peptide and protein conjugates anchoring an azide moiety. Successive azide-alkyne cycloaddition enables installation of the second functionality, thus affording dual-functionalized peptide- and protein-based materials.

Investigation of Thermally Induced Cellular Ablation and Heat Response Triggered by Planar MoS2-Based Nanocomposite.

In comparison to conventional tumor treatment methods, photothermal therapy (PTT) is one of the innovative therapeutic strategies that employs light to produce localized heat for targeted ablation of cancer cells. Among the various kinds of heat generation nanomaterials, transition metal dichalcogenide nanosheets, especially molybdenum disulfide (MoS2), have recently been investigated as one of the promising PTT candidates because of their strong absorbance in the near-infrared (NIR) tissue transparency window and excellent photothermal conversion capability. In line with the great potential of MoS2-based nanomaterials in biomedical applications, their intrinsic therapeutic performance and corresponding cellular response are required to be continually investigated. In order to further improve MoS2-based PTT efficacy and dissect the molecular mechanism during heat stimuli, in this study, we successfully designed a novel and effective PTT platform by integration of MoS2 nanosheets with peptide-based inhibition molecules to block the function of heat shock proteins (Hsp90), one type of chaperone proteins that play protective roles in living systems against cellular photothermal response. Such a combined nanosystem could effectively induce cell ablation and viability assays indicated approximately 5-fold higher PTT treatment efficacy (8.8% viability) than that of MoS2 itself (48% viability) upon 808 nm light irradiation. Moreover, different from the case based on MoS2 alone that could cause tumor ablation through the process of necrosis, the detailed mechanism analysis revealed that the inhibition of Hsp90 could significantly increase the photothermally mediated apoptosis, hence resulting in remarkable enhancement of photothermal treatment. Such promising studies provide the great opportunity to better understand the cellular basis of light-triggered thermal response. Moreover, they can also facilitate the rational design of new generations of PTT platforms toward future theranostics.