A cascade enzymatic reaction activatable gemcitabine prodrug with an AIE-based intracellular light-up apoptotic probe for in situ self-therapeutic monitoring.

A targeted cathepsin B-activatable gemcitabine prodrug with caspase-3 specific light-up tetraphenylene (TPE) as an apoptotic probe based on aggregation-induced emission (AIE) properties was designed for in situ self-therapeutic monitoring of pancreatic cancer cells.