International Journal of Molecular Sciences (Feb 2022)

An Engineered Nanocomplex with Photodynamic and Photothermal Synergistic Properties for Cancer Treatment

  • Eli Varon,
  • Gaddi Blumrosen,
  • Moshe Sinvani,
  • Elina Haimov,
  • Shlomi Polani,
  • Michal Natan,
  • Irit Shoval,
  • Avi Jacob,
  • Ayelet Atkins,
  • David Zitoun,
  • Orit Shefi

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms23042286
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 23, no. 4
p. 2286

Abstract

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Photodynamic therapy (PDT) and photothermal therapy (PTT) are promising therapeutic methods for cancer treatment; however, as single modality therapies, either PDT or PTT is still limited in its success rate. A dual application of both PDT and PTT, in a combined protocol, has gained immense interest. In this study, gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) were conjugated with a PDT agent, meso-tetrahydroxyphenylchlorin (mTHPC) photosensitizer, designed as nanotherapeutic agents that can activate a dual photodynamic/photothermal therapy in SH-SY5Y human neuroblastoma cells. The AuNP-mTHPC complex is biocompatible, soluble, and photostable. PDT efficiency is high because of immediate reactive oxygen species (ROS) production upon mTHPC activation by the 650-nm laser, which decreased mitochondrial membrane potential (∆ψm). Likewise, the AuNP-mTHPC complex is used as a photoabsorbing (PTA) agent for PTT, due to efficient plasmon absorption and excellent photothermal conversion characteristics of AuNPs under laser irradiation at 532 nm. Under the laser irradiation of a PDT/PTT combination, a twofold phototoxicity outcome follows, compared to PDT-only or PTT-only treatment. This indicates that PDT and PTT have synergistic effects together as a combined therapeutic method. Our study aimed at applying the AuNP-mTHPC approach as a potential treatment of cancer in the biomedical field.

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