Cascade-activated CEST nanoplatforms for guided tumor pyroptosis

Motivation: How to noninvasively visualize the tumor pyroptosis process using clinical MR techniques is important for image-guided precision tumor therapy. Goal(s): The goal of this study was to construct a highly sensitive CEST MR molecular imaging nanoplatform for label-free visualization of tumor pyroptosis. Approach: In this study, we introduced a microenvironmental response cascade-activated CEST nanoplatform to dynamically visualize the expression of markers associated with pyroptosis. Results: We found that the nanoplatform allows for a versatile non-invasive imaging of the pyroptosis process in tumors, including drug release monitoring, quantification of pyroptosis markers, and assessment of the efficacy of pyroptosis immunotherapies. Impact: We developed a smart CEST nanoplatform for non-invasive visualization of the pyroptosis process, providing a new strategy for precision tumor therapy. The nanoprobe was shown to be useful for 3T MR and is expected to be used in the clinic.