Hypoxia degradable AIE photosensitizer with high efficiency of photodynamic therapy and improved biological safety. (April 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Shi, Jizhong; Wang, Zhencao; Shen, Chaojie; Pan, Tingting; Xie, Longteng; Xie, Mintao; Huang, Lijiang; Jiang, Yongsheng; Zhou, Jianmin; Zuo, Wei; Huang, Zu-Sheng
• Is Part Of: Dyes and pigments. Volume 200(2022)
• Publication Date: 2022-04
• Subjects: Photodynamic therapy -- Photosensitizer -- Hypoxic microenvironment -- Aggregation-induced emission -- Biological safety; Dyes and dyeing -- Periodicals; Pigments -- Periodicals; 667.2
• DOI: 10.1016/j.dyepig.2022.110122
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0143-7208

Abstract

Abstract: Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a promising treatment for cancer, but still faces challenges. For example, the residual photosensitizers (PSs) can cause toxic effects on normal tissues. Thus, it is of great importance to change the PS into safe compounds in or after PDT process. In this work, a novel PS NTPy was synthesized and successfully applied for cancer therapy. NTPy with aggregation-induced emission (AIE) characteristics shows high reactive oxygen species generation efficiency and exhibits a strong fluorescence emission in 678 nm. In addition, NTPy shows excellent mitochondria targeting capacity. In hypoxic microenvironment, NTPy is degraded into TPy via the reduction caused by nitroreductase. TPy shows very little PDT activities and low fluorescence emission. Therefore, NTPy can detect the hypoxic microenvironment of tumor through fluorescence "turn-off" response. More importantly, NTPy can reduce the side effects of PS on normal tissues after effective PDT treatment. This work provides a new strategy for intelligent PDT treatment and increases the biological safety of PDT. Highlights: A new aggregation-induced emission (AIE) photosensitizer NTPy was developed. NTPy showed excellent mitochondria targeting and high ROS generation capacities. NTPy could be degraded into TPy via the reduction by NTR in hypoxic condition. TPy showed very little PDT activity and low fluorescence emission.