Sialic Acid-Modified NIR-II Fluorophore with Enhanced Brightness and Photoconversion Capability for Targeted Lymphoma Phototheranostics

Lymphoma is a malignant cancer characterized by a rapidly increasing incidence, complex etiology, and lack of obvious early symptoms. Efficient theranostics of lymphoma is of great significance in improving patient outcomes, empowering informed decision-making, and driving medical innovation. Herein, we developed a multifunctional nanoplatform for precise optical imaging and therapy of lymphoma based on a new photosensitizer (1-oxo-1H-benzoo[de]anthracene-2,3-dicarbonitrile-triphenylamine (OBADC-TPA)). OBADC-TPA is a donor–acceptor (D–A) molecule characterized by a novel small coplanar and strong electron-withdrawing acceptor skeleton, while the OBADC moiety facilitates strong intramolecular charge transfer. OBADC-TPA-based nanoparticles (NPs) were prepared through encapsulation with an amphiphilic polymer and subsequent modification with sialic acid (SA). Both in vitro and in vivo studies demonstrated that NPs-SA possessed good biocompatibility, effective tumor accumulation, high photoacoustic (PA) contrast, bright second near-infrared (NIR-II) fluorescence emission, and efficient photothermal/photodynamic conversion capabilities, which can serve as a multifunctional nanocomposite for targeted PA/NIR-II fluorescence imaging-guided synergistic type I/II photodynamic and photothermal therapy (PDT/PTT) of lymphoma. This work not only provides a new NIR-II fluorophore with a novel acceptor moiety but also offers a new, accurate, and effective approach for the targeted diagnosis and treatment of lymphoma, holding promising prospects for clinical application.