A Glucosylated BODIPY Uses the GLUT Channel to Target Cancer Cells in In Vitro and In Vivo Models

The conjugation of fluorescent probes to tumor-targeting molecules represents a promising strategy for the development of precision cancer bioimaging and treatment. Among the different tumor-targeting strategies, the use of d-glucose residues, which exploit the high energy demand of cancer cells, can enable recognition by a broad spectrum of tumors, thus overcoming limitations related to cancer heterogeneity. In this study, we combined the distinctive optical properties of BODIPY-based probes with the known tumor-targeting abilities of d-glucose. We report on the characterization of a glucosylated BODIPY, named Glc-BODIPY, and its ability to target different cancer cell types in both in vitro and in vivo models.