Project description:The long wavelength absorbing photosensitizer (PS) is important in allowing deeper penetration of near-infrared light into tumor tissue for photodynamic therapy (PDT). A suitable drug delivery vehicle is important to attain a sufficient concentration of PS at the tumor site. Presently, we developed graphene oxide (GO) nanoparticles containing long wavelength absorbing PS in the form of the chlorin derivative purpurin-18-N-ethylamine (maximum absorption wavelength [λmax] 707 nm). The GO-PS complexes comprised a delivery system in which PS was loaded by covalent and noncovalent bonding on the GO nanosheet. The two GO-PS complexes were fully characterized and compared concerning their synthesis, stability, cell viability, and dark toxicity. The GO-PS complexes produced significantly-enhanced PDT activity based on excellent drug delivery effect of GO compared with PS alone. In addition, the noncovalent GO-PS complex displayed higher photoactivity, corresponding with the pH-induced release of noncovalently-bound PS from the GO complex in the acidic environment of the cells. Furthermore, the noncovalently bound GO‒PS complex had no dark toxicity, as their highly organized structure prevented GO toxicity. We describe an excellent GO complex-based delivery system with significantly enhanced PDT with long wavelength absorbing PS, as well as reduced dark toxicity as a promising cancer treatment.
Project description:In photodynamic therapy (PDT), chlorin e6 (Ce6), with its high phototoxic potential and strong absorption of visible light, penetrates deeply into photodamaged tissue. However, despite this fact, the direct application of Ce6 to PDT has been limited by its low water solubility and poor cancer cell localization. To ameliorate this situation, we report herein on the use of a hydrophilic nanoconjugate (DC) comprised of Ce6 and poly(amidoamine) dendrimer, which improves the water solubility and intracellular uptake of Ce6, thereby enhancing PDT efficacy. The synthesis of DC was verified by ¹H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) analysis, and the coupling ratio of Ce6 introduced onto DC was 2.64. The prepared DC was spherical, with an average diameter of 61.7 ± 3.5 nm. In addition, the characteristic ultraviolet-visible absorption bands of DC in distilled water were similar to those of free Ce6 in dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), indicating that the Ce6 chromophore did not change upon conjugation. Investigation using fluorescence spectroscopy and confocal microscopy revealed a greater intracellular uptake of DC than of Ce6 alone. Moreover, DC exhibited significantly increased phototoxicity to human cervical cancer cells, mostly because of apoptotic cell death. These results imply that DC is a candidate for the clinical treatment of PDT.
Project description:To improve the tumor-targeting efficacy of photodynamic therapy, biotin was conjugated with chlorin e6 to develop a new tumor-targeting photosensitizer, Ce6-biotin. The Ce6-biotin had good water solubility and low aggregation. The singlet-oxygen generation rate of Ce6-biotin was slightly increased compared to Ce6. Flow cytometry and confocal laser scanning microscopy results confirmed Ce6-biotin had higher binding affinity toward biotin-receptor-positive HeLa human cervical carcinoma cells than its precursor, Ce6. Due to the BR-targeting ability of Ce6-biotin, it exhibited stronger cytotoxicity to HeLa cells upon laser irradiation. The IC50 against HeLa cells of Ce6-biotin and Ce6 were 1.28 µM and 2.31 µM, respectively. Furthermore, both Ce6-biotin and Ce6 showed minimal dark toxicity. The selectively enhanced therapeutic efficacy and low dark toxicity suggest that Ce6-biotin is a promising PS for BR-positive-tumor-targeting photodynamic therapy.
Project description:BackgroundImproving the water solubility of hydrophobic photosensitizer and increasing its accumulation in tumor tissue are essential for in vivo photodynamic therapy (PDT). Considering commercialization or clinical application in future, it will be promising to achieve these purposes by developing new agents with simple and non-toxic structure.ResultsWe conjugated multiple chlorin e6 (Ce6) molecules to gelatin polymer, synthesizing two types of gelatin-Ce6 conjugates with different amounts of Ce6: gelatin-Ce6-2 and gelatin-Ce6-8. The resulting conjugates remained soluble in aqueous solutions for a longer time than hydrophobic Ce6. The conjugates could generate singlet oxygen and kill tumor cells upon laser irradiation. After intravenous injection into SCC-7 tumor-bearing mice, gelatin-Ce6-2 showed prolonged blood circulation and highly increased accumulation in tumor tissue as observed in real-time imaging in vivo. After laser irradiation, gelatin-Ce6-2 suppressed tumor growth completely and enabled improved PDT compared to free Ce6 and gelatin-Ce6-8.ConclusionsThis work demonstrates that a simple structure based on photosensitizer and gelatin can highly improve water solubility and stability. Superior tumor tissue accumulation and increased therapeutic efficacy of gelatin-Ce6 during in vivo PDT showed its high potential for clinical application.
Project description:Both the pre-apoptotic exposure to calreticulin (CRT) and the post-apoptotic release of high-mobility group box 1 protein (HMGB1) are required for immunogenic cell death. Photodynamic therapy (PDT) uses non-toxic photosensitizers and visible light at a specific wavelength in combination with oxygen to produce cytotoxic reactive oxygen species that kill malignant cells by apoptosis and/or necrosis, shut down the tumor microvasculature, and stimulate the host immune system. We have previously shown that glycoconjugated chlorin (G-chlorin) has superior cancer cell selectivity and effectively suppresses the growth of xenograft tumors. In the present study, we evaluated the immunogenicity of PDT with G-chlorin treatment in colon cancer cells. PDT with G-chlorin suppressed CT26 (mouse colon cancer cells) tumor growth considerably more efficiently in immunocompetent mice (wild-type mice, allograft model) than in immune-deficient mice (nude mice, xenograft model), although control treatments were not different between the two. This treatment also induced CRT translocation and HMGB1 release in cells, as shown by western blot and immunofluorescence staining. To evaluate the use of PDT-treated cells as a tumor vaccine, we employed a syngeneic mouse tumor model (allograft model). Mice inoculated with PDT-treated CT26 cells were significantly protected against a subsequent challenge with live CT26 cells, and this protection was inhibited by siRNA for CRT or HMGB1. In conclusion, PDT with G-chlorin treatment induced immunogenic cell death in a mouse model, where the immunogenicity of this treatment was directed by CRT expression and HMGB1 release.
Project description:The therapeutic effect of photodynamic therapy (PDT) is highly dependent on the intracellular production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). However, the ROS generated by photosensitizers can be consumed by the highly concentrated glutathione (GSH) in tumor cells, severely impairing the therapeutic effect of PDT. Herein, we synthesized a GSH-scavenging copolymer to deliver photosensitizer chlorin e6 (Ce6). The pyridyl disulfide groups, which have faster reactivity with the thiol groups of GSH than other disulfide groups, were grafted onto a hydrophobic block to encapsulate the Ce6. Under NIR irradiation, the Ce6 generated ROS to kill tumor cells, and the pyridyl disulfide groups depleted the GSH to prevent ROS consumption, which synergistically enhanced the therapeutic effect of PDT. In vitro and in vivo experiments confirmed the combinatory antitumor effect of Ce6-induced ROS generation and the pyridyl disulfide group-induced GSH depletion. Therefore, the pyridyl disulfide group-grafted amphiphilic copolymer provides a more efficient strategy for enhancing PDT and has promising potential for clinical application.
Project description:This work aims to prepare pure Chlorin e6 (Ce6) and establish Ce6-mediated photodynamic therapy (Ce6-PDT) as a better therapy option for canine tumors as well as mouse tumor models. Five dogs suffering from various cancers were treated with Ce6-PDT from one to several times. After receiving the Ce6 (2.5 mg/kg) for 3 h, tumors were illuminated superficially or interstitially with 660 nm light. Two dogs underwent Ce6-guided fluorescence imaging by photodynamic diagnosis (PDD). Cell proliferation and apoptosis were detected by the 4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay and western blot assay, respectively. Ce6-PDT efficacy was also determined using melanoma and pancreatic cancer mouse models. Two veterinary patients with mammary carcinoma and histiocytic sarcoma had their tumors significantly diminished and showed improved health after receiving Ce6-PDT. Moreover, in the cases of canine tumors, the adjunctive use of Ce6-PDD revealed cancers that were not visible with white light viewing and provided a visual contrast from surrounding tissues. Also, in vivo, Ce6-PDT remarkably reduced melanoma and pancreatic tumors in the mouse model. These findings could pave the way for a better understanding of the underlying processes of Ce6-PDT, making it an effective and safe candidate for use in human and veterinary applications to abolish various cancers.
Project description:BackgroundLayered double hydroxides (LDHs) are one type of 2-dimensional material with unique structure and strongly positive surface charge. Particularly, LDHs can be exfoliated by mono-layered double hydroxides (MLHs) as a single layer, showing an increased surface area. Therefore, there is a large focus on LDHs for drug delivery applications. Furthermore, most photosensitizers are hydrophobic that they cannot be soluble in aqueous solvents. Herein, we designed a simple way to solubilize hydrophobic photosensitizers by MLH with electrostatic interactions for anticancer photodynamic therapy (PDT), which has tremendous therapeutic advantages. The photosensitizer solubilized via loading on the MLH exhibited fluorescence and singlet oxygen-generation activities in aqueous solvent without chemical modification, resulting in photo-mediated anticancer treatment.MethodsNegatively charged hydrophobic photosensitizers, chlorin e6 (Ce6) were solubilized by loading on the MLHs through the electrostatic interaction between positively charged MLHs. MLH/Ce6 complexes evaluated for physico-chemical characterization, pH-sensitive release property, in vitro photocytotoxicity, and in vivo tumor ablation.ResultsThe photosensitizer solubilized via MLH exhibited fluorescence intensity and singlet-oxygen generation activities in aqueous solvent without chemical modification, resulting photocytotoxicity in cancer cells. The encapsulation efficiency of Ce6 increased to 21.2% through MLH compared to 0.6% when using LDH. In tumor-bearing mice, PDT with solubilized MLH/Ce6 indicated a tumor-suppressing effect approximately 3.4-fold greater than that obtained when Ce6 was injected alone.ConclusionsThis study provided the solubilized Ce6 by the MLH in a simple way without chemical modification. We demonstrated that MLH/Ce6 complexes would have a great potential for anticancer PDT.
Project description:Photodynamic therapy (PDT) with a suitable photosensitizer molecule is a promising anticancer treatment. We evaluated two chlorin molecules as potential photosensitizers, methyl pyropheophorbide a (MPPa) and N-methoxyl purpurinimide (NMPi), against A549 human lung adenocarcinoma cells in vitro as well as in A549 tumor-bearing mice in vivo. Cell viability, microscopy, and fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) analyses were performed for the in vitro studies. MPPa and NMPi showed high phototoxicity in vitro, which was dependent on the concentration of the photosensitizers as well as the light irradiation time. In the animal study, tumor volume change, tumor surface alterations, and hematoxylin & eosin (H&E) and terminal deoxyribonucleotidyl transferse-mediated dUTP nick-end labelling (TUNEL) staining analyses were performed and compared between small (tumor volume of 50 mm³) size of initial tumors. MPPa and NMPi showed high anticancer efficacy against small-size tumors, indicating that early treatment with PDT is effective. Especially, repeated two times PDT with NMPi allowed almost complete eradication against small-size tumors. However, MPPa and NMPi were not effective against large-size tumors. In conclusion, the two chlorin derivatives, MPPa and NMPi, show good anticancer efficacy as promising photosensitizers for PDT in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, their activity in vivo was significantly dependent on the initial tumor size in mice, which confirms the importance of early cancer treatment.
Project description:Photodynamic therapy (PDT), performed with low-fluence rates, can improve antitumor responses and prevent adverse effects. However, photosensitizers (PSs) for low-fluence PDT treatment are rarely reported. Herein, we exploited an amphiphilic chlorin-based PS, named DYSP-C34, which has a variety of beneficial biological properties, such as improved water solubility, better cellular permeability, specific localization and enhanced phototoxicity under low light dose irradiation. In addition, DYSP-C34 could effectively accumulate in a mouse subcutaneous xenograft tumor and exhibit substantial tumor regression after irradiation with an extremely low light fluence (6 J/cm2). Meanwhile, the excellent phototoxicity could stimulate the host immune system and lead to a strong inhibition of tumor growth synergistically. These results indicated the potential value of DYSP-C34 as a chlorin-type PS for low-fluence PDT application.