Aggregation-Induced Emission-Active Photosensitizer-Mediated Photodynamic Therapy for Anti-Psoriasis
Ping Zhu,
Zhaoji Wu,
Zhilu Yang,
Tingting Tang,
Yunhui Liao,
Wen Zhao,
Ying Huang,
Tao Chen,
Junjie Li,
Chunmei Nong,
Zhenzhen Wu,
Guodong Hu,
Yanshan Liu,
Yinghua Chen
Affiliations
Ping Zhu
Department of Histology and Embryology, NMPA Key Laboratory for Safety Evaluation of Cosmetics, School of Basic Medical Sciences,
Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China.
Zhaoji Wu
NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Drug Metabolism & Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of New Drug Screening, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences,
Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China.
Zhilu Yang
Dongguan Key Laboratory of Smart Biomaterials and Regenerative Medicine, The Tenth Affiliated Hospital,
Southern Medical University, Dongguan, Guangdong 523059, China.
Tingting Tang
Department of Histology and Embryology, NMPA Key Laboratory for Safety Evaluation of Cosmetics, School of Basic Medical Sciences,
Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China.
Yunhui Liao
NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Drug Metabolism & Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of New Drug Screening, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences,
Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China.
Wen Zhao
Department of Medical Imaging, Guangzhou Women and Children’s Medical Center, National Children’s Medical Center for South Central Region, Guangzhou 510515, China.
Ying Huang
Health Management Center, The Tenth Affiliated Hospital,
Southern Medical University, Dongguan, Guangdong 523059, China.
Tao Chen
Nanfang Hospital Biobank, Clinical Research Center, Nanfang Hospital,
Southern Medical University, No. 1838 Guangzhou Avenue, Guangzhou 510515, China.
Junjie Li
Department of Dermatology, The Tenth Affiliated Hospital,
Southern Medical University, Dongguan, Guangdong 523059, China.
Chunmei Nong
Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Dongguan Key Laboratory of Clinical Translation of Basic Research on Respiratory Diseases, The Tenth Affiliated Hospital,
Southern Medical University, Dongguan, Guangdong 523059, China.
Zhenzhen Wu
Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Dongguan Key Laboratory of Clinical Translation of Basic Research on Respiratory Diseases, The Tenth Affiliated Hospital,
Southern Medical University, Dongguan, Guangdong 523059, China.
Guodong Hu
Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Dongguan Key Laboratory of Clinical Translation of Basic Research on Respiratory Diseases, The Tenth Affiliated Hospital,
Southern Medical University, Dongguan, Guangdong 523059, China.
Yanshan Liu
NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Drug Metabolism & Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of New Drug Screening, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences,
Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China.
Hyperproliferative keratinocytes and subcutaneous inflammation contribute to the characteristic symptoms of psoriasis, including erythema, scales, or scaly plaques on the skin. These symptoms significantly affect patients’ quality of life and cause severe physical and psychological distress. However, current treatment strategies have limited therapeutic effect and may lead to adverse side effects. In this study, we present the novel organic photosensitizer TBTDC [5-(((5-(7-(4-(diphenylamino)phenyl)benzo[c][1,2,5]thiadiazol-4-yl)thiophen-2-yl)methylene)amino)-3-methylthiophene-2,4-dicarbonitrile] nanoparticles (NPs) with aggregation-induced emission (AIE) characteristics to mediate photodynamic therapy (TBTDC NP-PDT) for psoriasis treatment. We demonstrate that TBTDC NPs effectively generate reactive oxygen species upon light irradiation and lead to significant apoptosis of psoriatic keratinocytes. Furthermore, TBTDC NPs exhibit high cellular uptake in diseased keratinocytes and induce endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS)-mediated autophagy, which can also enhance apoptosis. Importantly, TBTDC NPs show no cytotoxicity toward keratinocytes. These unique properties of TBTDC NPs enable remarkable therapeutic effects against psoriasis-like skin lesions and related inflammation in vivo. Overall, our AIE-active TBTDC NP-PDT represents a promising strategy for treating psoriasis in clinical settings.
