From Passive Signal Output to Intelligent Response: “On-Demand” Precise Imaging Controlled by Near-Infrared Light

“On-demand” accurate imaging of multiple intracellular miRNAs will significantly improve the detection reliability and accuracy. However, the “always-active” design of traditional multicomponent detection probes enables them to passively recognize and output signals as soon as they encounter targets, which will inevitably impair the detection accuracy and, inevitably, result in false-positive signals. To address this scientific problem, in this work, we developed a near-infrared (NIR) light-activated multicomponent detection intelligent nanoprobe for spatially and temporally controlled on-demand accurate imaging of multiple intracellular miRNAs. The proposed intelligent nanoprobe is composed of a rationally designed UV light-responsive triangular DNA nano sucker (TDS) and upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs), named UCNPs@TDS (UTDS), which can enter cells autonomously through endocytosis and enable remote regulation of on-demand accurate imaging for multiple intracellular miRNAs using NIR light illumination at a chosen time and place. It is worth noting that the most important highlight of the UTDS we designed in this work is that it can resist nonspecific activation as well as effectively avoid false-positive signals and improve the accuracy of imaging of multiple intracellular miRNAs. Moreover, distinguishing different kinds of cell lines with different miRNA expressions levels can be also achieved through this NIR light-activated intelligent UTDS, showing feasible prospects in precise imaging and disease diagnosis.