A follicle-stimulating hormone receptor-targeted near-infrared fluorescent probe for tumor-selective imaging and photothermal therapy

Late detection, peritoneal dissemination, chemoresistance and weak response to targeted therapeutics lead to high mortality in ovarian cancer. More efficient and specific tumor imaging and therapeutic agents are needed to improve the resection rate of surgery and to eliminate residual disease. The expression patterns of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) receptor make it a suitable target for ovarian cancer. Here, we report a strategy to develop an organic near-infrared probe for FSH receptor-targeted tumor imaging and photothermal therapy. The FSH-Rh760 probe was conjugated from the Rh760 fluorophore with the FSH β subunit 33–53 peptide. FSH-Rh760 specifically distinguished peritoneal metastatic ovarian cancerous foci from surrounding normal tissues with a high tumor-to-background ratio. The fluorescence signals in tumors peaked at 2 h and were cleared at 120 h postinjection. FSH-Rh760 treatment rapidly increased the abdomen temperature of mice up to ∼43 °C upon exposure to a near-infrared laser and effectively suppressed peritoneal tumor growth with tumor specificity. No significant systemic toxicities were observed. This study demonstrates the targeting ability and biocompatibility of FSH receptor-targeted theranostics and highlights its potential for clinical application in imaging-guided precision tumor resection and photothermal therapy to eliminate cancer lesions intraoperatively and postoperatively.