Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology (May 2023)

Morpholinyl silicon phthalocyanine nanoparticles with lysosome cell death and two-photon imaging functions for in vitro photodynamic therapy of cancer cells

  • Hongjie Yu,
  • Jianling Chen,
  • Xiuqin Chen,
  • Tiantian Zhang,
  • Yuyang Li,
  • Kuizhi Chen,
  • Yiru Peng,
  • Linying Chen

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3389/fbioe.2023.1181448
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 11

Abstract

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The lysosome is an important target for realizing antitumor therapy. Lysosomal cell death exerts significant therapeutic effects on apoptosis and drug-resistance. The development of lysosome-targeting nanoparticles to obtain efficient cancer treatment is challenging. In this article, nanoparticles composed of DSPE@M-SiPc and possessing bright two-photon fluorescence, lysosome targeting ability, and photodynamic therapy multifunctionalities are prepared by encapsulating morpholinyl-substituted silicon phthalocyanine (M-SiPc) with 1,2-distearoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine-N-[methoxy(poly(ethylene glycol))-2000] (DSPE). Two photon fluorescence bioimaging showed that M-SiPc and DSPE@M-SiPc mainly locate in lysosomes after cellular internalization. Upon irradiation, DSPE@M-SiPc effectively generates reactive oxygen species and damages the function of lysosome, subsequently leading to lysosomal cell death. DSPE@M-SiPc is a promising photosensitizer for cancer treatment.

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