Activatable nanoprobes for intracellular drug delivery

1. A method for monitoring intracellular drug delivery within a subject comprising:

administering to the subject an effective amount of an optically activatable nanoprobe, the optically activatable nanoprobe comprising:

a core component comprising a quantum dot; and

an active agent linked to the quantum dot;

wherein, upon intracellular uptake of the nanoprobe, a linkage between the active agent and the core component is cleaved to allow for release of the active agent and to allow the quantum dot to transfer from a quenched state, wherein the luminescence of the plurality of quantum dot is quenched, to a luminescent state, wherein the luminescence of the plurality of quantum dot is activated; and

detecting a presence of the quantum dot, wherein an increase in luminescence of the quantum dot is indicative of a release of the active agent intracellularly.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the linkage between the active agent and the quantum dot is cleavable by intracellular glutathione.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the nanoprobe further comprises a targeting agent.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the nanoprobe further comprises a hydrophilic dispersing agent linked to the core component, and wherein the hydrophilic dispersing agent comprises N-acetyl cysteine.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the nanoprobe further comprises a hydrophilic dispersing agent linked to the core component, and wherein the hydrophilic dispersing agent comprises glutathione.

6. The method claim 1 , further comprising forming a hydrophilic coating about the core component.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the active agent comprises a STAT-3 inhibitor.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the active agent further comprises N-Acetyl-L-Cysteine directly or indirectly linked thereto, wherein the core component comprises an inorganic core comprises iron oxide and a plurality of quantum dots linked thereto, and wherein the plurality of quantum dots comprise CdS:Mn/ZnS quantum dots.

9. A method for monitoring intracellular drug delivery within a subject in whom an effective amount of an optically activatable nanoprobe has been administered, the optically activatable nanoprobe comprising:

an inorganic core;

a plurality of quantum dots linked to the inorganic core, and

at least one ligand linked to respective ones of the plurality of quantum dots, the at least one ligand comprising at least an active agent linked to the quantum dot by a linkage; and

wherein, upon intracellular uptake of the nanoprobe, a linkage between the active agent and a respective quantum dot is cleaved to allow for release of the biologically active agent and to allow the plurality of quantum dots to transfer from a quenched state, wherein the luminescence of the plurality of quantum dots is quenched, to a luminescent state, and wherein the luminescence of the plurality of quantum dot is activated; the method comprising:

confirming release of the biologically active agent by detecting a presence of the plurality of the quantum dot in the luminescent state.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the confirming is done by magnetic resonance imaging.

11. An activatable nanoprobe comprising:

a core component;

an activatable active agent associated with the core component via a bond configured to be cleaved upon exposure to an endogenous compound.

12. The nanoprobe of claim 11 , wherein the association between the active agent and the core component is cleavable by intracellular glutathione.

13. The nanoprobe of claim 11 , wherein the nanoprobe further comprises a ligand.

14. The nanoprobe of claim 13 , wherein the ligand is a targeting agent.

15. The nanoprobe of claim 11 , wherein the nanoprobe further comprises a hydrophilic dispersing agent linked to the core component, and wherein the hydrophilic dispersing agent comprises N-acetyl cysteine.

16. The nanoprobe of claim 11 , wherein the nanoprobe further comprises a hydrophilic dispersing agent linked to the core component, and wherein the hydrophilic dispersing agent comprises glutathione.

17. The nanoprobe claim 11 , further comprising forming a hydrophilic coating about the core component.

18. The nanoprobe of claim 11 , wherein the active agent comprises a STAT-3 inhibitor.

19. The nanoprobe of claim 18 , wherein the active agent further comprises N-Acetyl-L-Cysteine directly or indirectly linked thereto, wherein the core component comprises an inorganic core comprises iron oxide and a plurality of quantum dots linked thereto, and wherein the plurality of quantum dots comprise CdS:Mn/ZnS quantum dots.