Plasmon-mediated cancer phototherapy: the combined effect of thermal and photodynamic processes. Issue 48 (30th November 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Ricciardi, Loredana; Sancey, Lucie; Palermo, Giovanna; Termine, Roberto; De Luca, Antonio; Szerb, Elisabeta I.; Aiello, Iolinda; Ghedini, Mauro; Strangi, Giuseppe; La Deda, Massimo
• Is Part Of: Nanoscale. Volume 9:Issue 48(2017)
• Page Start: 19279
• Page End: 19289
• Publication Date: 2017-11-30
• Subjects: Nanoscience -- Periodicals; Nanotechnology -- Periodicals; 620.505
• DOI: 10.1039/c7nr05522f
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2040-3364

Abstract

Abstract : A luminescent Ir(iii ) complex has been embedded into Au@SiO2 nanoparticles for simultaneous imaging and phototherapeutic human cancer cell treatment. Abstract : A nanoplatform for simultaneous cellular imaging, and photodynamic and photothermal therapies has been designed and realized by embedding a purposely synthesized highly luminescent water soluble iridium(iii ) compound into gold core–silica shell nanoparticles. These multifunctionalities arise mainly from the photophysical properties of the cyclometalated complex: (i) the heavy atom promotes, through excited triplet state formation, energy transfer processes towards molecular oxygen, with the generation of 1 O2 ( photodynamic effect ); (ii) the overlap of the iridium(iii ) complex emission band with the plasmonic resonance of gold nanostructures allows excitation energy transfer towards the metallic core ( photothermal effect ); (iii) the remarkable iridium(iii ) complex luminescence feature, which is preserved despite energy transfer processes, makes the whole system an efficient luminescent bio-probe ( imaging ). Photophysical and photothermal investigations have been carried out, whereas in vitro photo-cytotoxicity tests have been performed on human glioblastoma cells (U87MG), highlighting significant cancer cell death at a very low photosensitizer concentration (<0.5 μM), by means of a synergistic photodynamic and photothermal effect.