Application of a double-colour upconversion nanofluorescent probe for targeted imaging of mantle cell lymphoma

Upconversion nanoparticles are a new type of fluorescent marker in biomedical imaging that can convert a longer wavelength (such as near-infrared fluorescence) into a shorter wavelength (such as visible light). Mantle cell lymphoma, which is derived from B-cell lymphoma, is a subtype of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, and the immune phenotype is a mature B-cell phenotype (CD20+, CD5+). To develop the use of nanomaterials as specific markers for the medical imaging of mantle cell lymphoma, we modified the surface of UCNPs by oxidation so that the CD20 or CD5 antibody could covalently attach to the upconversion nanoparticles to form antibody-UCNP conjugates. These antibody-UCNP conjugates were used as fluorescent probes to detect the CD20 or CD5 antigen. Due to the excessive expression of these antigens on the surface of MCL cells and successful strong connection between the antibody and UCNPs, the latter could specifically combine with mantle cell lymphoma cells. Upon near-infrared excitation at 980 nm, cells labelled with UCNPs emitted bright upconversion fluorescence.