Photocytotoxicity, cellular uptake and subcellular localization of amidinophenylporphyrins as potential photodynamic therapeutic agents: An in vitro cell study

Self-assembled porphyrin polymer nanoparticles with NIR-II emission and highly efficient photothermal performance in cancer therapy

The development of new organic nanoagents with extremely high photothermal conversion efficiency and good biocompatibility has gained considerable attention in the area of photothermal cancer therapy. In this work, we designed and synthesized a new porphyrin polymer (P-PPor) with donor-acceptor (D-A) structure. P-PPor displayed intense absorbance in the near-infrared (NIR) region with the maximum peak around at 850 ​nm. Under excitation of 808 ​nm, P-PPor demonstrated the significant fluorescence in the NIR-II region (λ max ​= ​1015 ​nm), with the fluorescence quantum yield of 2.19%. Due to the presence of hydrophilic PEG chains and hydrophobic alkyl chains in the conjugated skeleton, the amphiphilic P-PPor could self-assemble into the nanoparticles (P-PPor NPs) with good dispersibility in water and enhanced absorption in the NIR region. Moreover, P-PPor NPs exhibited quenched fluorescence because of the aggregation-caused quenching (ACQ) effect, resulting in the distinct photothermal effect. The photothermal conversion efficiency (PCE) of P-PPor NPs was measured as 66% under 808 ​nm laser irradiation, higher than most of PTT agents. The remarkable photothermal effect of P-PPor NPs was further demonstrated in vitro and in vivo using 4T1 tumor mode. Meanwhile, the NIR-II fluorescence imaging in vivo indicated the high distribution of P-PPor NPs in tumor site. These results suggested that P-PPor NPs could effectively damage the cancer cells in mice under 808 ​nm laser irradiation, and did not cause any obvious side effects after phototherapy. Thus, P-PPor NPs could be used as a potential agent in photothermal cancer therapy with high effectiveness and safety.

The improvement of biocompatibility by incorporating porphyrins into carbon dots with photodynamic effects and pH sensitivities

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a promising new treatment for cancer; however, the hydrophobic interactions and poor solubility in water of photosensitizers limit the use in clinic. Nanoparticles especially carbon dots have attracted the attention of the world^'s scientists because of their unique properties such as good solubility and biocompatibility. In this paper, we integrated carbon dots with different porphyrins to improve the properties of porphyrins and evaluated their efficacy as PDT drugs. The spectroscopic characteristics of porphyrins nano-conjugates were studied. Singlet oxygen generation rate and the light- and dark-induced toxicity of the conjugates were studied. Our results showed that the covalent interaction between CDs and porphyrins has improved the biocompatibility. The synthesized conjugates also inherit the pH sensitivity of the carbon dots, while the conjugation also decreases the hemolysis ratio making them a promising candidate for PDT. The incorporation of carbon dots into porphyrins improved their biocompatibility by reducing toxicity.

Effects of photodynamic therapy mediated by emodin in cervical carcinoma cells

Cervical cancer is a worldwide public health problem, and improved selective therapies and anticancer drugs are urgently needed. In recent years, emodin has attracted considerable attention due to its anti-inflammatory, antineoplastic, and proapoptotic effects. Furthermore, emodin may be used as a photosensitizing agent in photodynamic therapy. Interest in photodynamic therapy for cancer treatment has increased due to its efficiency in causing tumor cell death. This study aimed to analyze the effect of emodin combined with photodynamic therapy in cervical carcinoma cell lines. At first, emodin presented cytotoxicity in concentration and time-dependent manners in all the specific cell lines analyzed. SiHa, CaSki, and HaCaT cancer cells presented more than 80% cell viability in concentrations below 30 µmol/L. Fluorescence microscopy images showed efficient cellular uptake of emodin in all analyzed cell lines. A significant decrease in cell viability was observed in SiHa, CaSki, and HaCaT cell lines after treatment of emodin combined with photodynamic therapy. These decreases were accompanied by increased ROS production, caspase-3 activity, and fluorescence intensity of autophagic vacuoles. This suggests increased ROS production led to cell death by apoptosis and autophagy. Additionally, after the combination of emodin and photodynamic therapy in SiHa cells, we observed the overexpression of 22 target genes and downregulation of two target genes of anti-cancer drugs. These results show the promising potential for applications that combine emodin with photodynamic therapy for cervical cancer treatment.

An octabrominated Sn(iv) tetraisopropylporphyrin as a photosensitizer dye for singlet oxygen biomedical applications

Two novel Sn(iv) tetraisopropylphenylporphyrins have been synthesized to explore the effect of octabromination at the β-pyrrole positions on their photophysical properties and photodynamic activity. The lower energy Q band of an octabrominated complex lies at 675 nm well within the therapeutic window. The octabrominated dye has a relatively high singlet oxygen quantum yield of 0.78 in DMF and exhibits favorable photodynamic activity against MCF-7 cells with an IC50 value of 10.7 μM and a 5.74 log reduction value (5 μM) towards S. aureus under illumination at 660 nm for 60 min with a Thorlabs M660L3 LED (280 mW cm-2).

Chemical approaches for the enhancement of porphyrin skeleton-based photodynamic therapy

With the development of photodynamic therapy (PDT), remarkable studies have been conducted to generate photosensitisers (PSs), especially porphyrin PSs. A variety of chemical modifications of the porphyrin skeleton have been introduced to improve cellular delivery, stability, and selectivity for cancerous tissues. This review aims to highlight the developments in porphyrin-based structural modifications, with a specific emphasis on the role of PDT in anticancer treatment and the design of PSs to achieve a synergistic effect on multiple targets.

Size-Selected Graphene Oxide Loaded with Photosensitizer (TMPyP) for Targeting Photodynamic Therapy In Vitro

Targeted therapies of various diseases are nowadays widely studied in many biomedical fields. Photodynamic therapy (PDT) represents a modern treatment of cancer using a locally activated light. TMPyP is an efficient synthetic water-soluble photosensitizer (PS), yet with poor absorption in the visible and the red regions. In this work, we prepared size-selected and colloidally stable graphene oxide (GO) that is appropriate for biomedical use. Thanks to the negative surface charge of GO, TMPyP was easily linked in order to create conjugates of GO/TMPyP by electrostatic force. Due to the strong ionic interactions, charge transfers between GO and TMPyP occur, as comprehensively investigated by steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy. Biocompatibility and an in vitro effect of GO/TMPyP were confirmed by a battery of in vitro tests including MTT, comet assay, reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, and monitoring the cellular uptake. PDT efficiency of GO/TMPyP was tested using 414 and 740 nm photoexcitation. Our newly prepared nanotherapeutics showed a higher PDT effect than in free TMPyP, and is promising for targeted therapy using clinically favorable conditions.

Palladium porphyrin complexes for photodynamic cancer therapy: effect of porphyrin units and metal

The ROS generation ability and photocytotoxicity of the synthesized porphyrin compounds were enhanced with the number of porphyrin units in the photosensitizers.

A folate-conjugated platinum porphyrin complex as a new cancer-targeting photosensitizer for photodynamic therapy

A new folate-conjugated platinum porphyrin complex (Por 4) was synthesized and characterized. The singlet oxygen production of the conjugates was evaluated through a 1,3-diphenylisobenzofuran method. The targeting ability and subcellular localization of Por 4 were confirmed by confocal laser scanning microscopy in HeLa cells (overexpression of FR) as well as in A549 cells (low expression of FR). The results suggested that the modification of the carboxyl group with a porphyrin compound did not decrease the binding affinity of folic acid to FR positive cancer cells. Moreover, the MTT assay using HeLa cells and A549 cells verified the low cytotoxicity of Por 4 in the dark. Upon irradiation, Por 4 showed noticeable improvement in toxicity against cancer cells with the overexpression of FR. Upon the treatment of Por 4 at the concentration of 20 μM, the cell viability was determined as 22% and 75% for HeLa and A549 cells, respectively, indicating that the folate-conjugated platinum porphyrin complex could be a promising PDT agent for cancer with overexpression of the folate receptor.

Small-Molecule Porphyrin-Based Organic Nanoparticles with Remarkable Photothermal Conversion Efficiency for in Vivo Photoacoustic Imaging and Photothermal Therapy

Near-infrared (NIR)-absorbing organic nanoparticles (ONPs) are emerging candidates for "one-for-all" theranostic nanomaterials with considerations of safety and formulation in mind. However, facile fabrication methods and improvements in the photothermal conversion efficiency (PCE) and photostability are likely needed before a clinically viable set of candidates emerges. Herein, a new organic compound, [porphyrin-diketopyrrolopyrrole (Por-DPP)] with the donor-acceptor structure was synthesized, where porphyrin was used as a donor unit while diketopyrrolopyrrole was used as an acceptor unit. Por-DPP exhibited efficient absorption extending from visible to NIR regions. After self-assembling into nanoparticles (NPs) (∼120 nm), the absorption spectrum of Por-DPP NPs broadened and red-shifted to some extent, relative to that of organic molecules. Furthermore, the architecture of NPs enhanced the acceptor-donor structure, leading to emission quenching and facilitating nonradiative thermal generation. The PCE of Por-DPP NPs was measured and calculated to be 62.5%, higher than most of ONPs. Under 808 nm laser irradiation, the Por-DPP NPs possessed a distinct photothermal therapy (PTT) effect in vitro and can damage cancer cells efficiently in vivo without significant side effects after phototherapy. Thus, the small-molecule porphyrin-based ONPs with high PCE demonstrated promising application in photoacoustic imaging-guided PTT.

Synthesis, singlet oxygen generation and DNA photocleavage of β,β′-conjugated polycationic porphyrins

In this paper, three [Formula: see text],[Formula: see text]-conjugated cationic porphyrin compounds were designed and synthesized. The structure of the intermediates and desired porphyrins were confirmed by UV, IR, 1H NMR, MS and elemental analysis. The interaction modes between these porphyrins and ct-DNA were studied by UV-vis spectroscopy and fluorescence emission spectroscopy. The results showed that PCP 1 had an external binding mode with DNA at low DNA concentration and could intercalate DNA with the increase of concentration. PCP 2 interacted with DNA through an external binding mode, and PCP 3 could insert into DNA. The binding constants ([Formula: see text] between PCP1[Formula: see text]PCP3 and ct-DNA were calculated to be 8.41 × 104, 7.33 × 104 and 4.14 × 104 M[Formula: see text], respectively. The singlet oxygen (1O[Formula: see text] generation of PCP1[Formula: see text]PCP3 was determined by the 1,3-diphenylisobenzofuran (DPBF) method using tetrapyridylporphyrin (H2TMPyP) as a reference. The 1O2 generation rate of PCP1[Formula: see text]PCP3 followed the order of PCP2 >PCP1>H2TMPyP >PCP3. Subsequently, the photocleavage effect of porphyrins on pBR322 plasmid DNA was studied by gel electrophoresis. At 10.0 [Formula: see text]M, PCP1 and PCP2 could cleave DNA completely. At 2.0 [Formula: see text]M, the cleavage rate of DNA by PCP3 was 57.5%, which was significantly higher than that of H2TMPyP (38.8%). These results verified that the amount of cationic ions in the porphyrin structure could affect the binding modes of porphyrins with DNA and their cleavage ability of DNA.

Carbon Dots @ Platinum Porphyrin Composite as Theranostic Nanoagent for Efficient Photodynamic Cancer Therapy

Photosensitizers are light-sensitive molecules that are highly hydrophobic, which poses a challenge to their use for photodynamic therapy. Hence, considerable efforts have been made to develop carriers for the delivery of PSs. Herein, we synthesized a new theranostic nanoagent (CQDs@PtPor) through the electrostatic interaction between the tetraplatinated porphyrin complex (PtPor) and the negatively charged CQDs. The size and morphology of as-prepared CQDs and CQDs@PtPor were characterized by a series of methods, such as XRD, TEM, XPS, and FTIR spectroscopy. The CQDs@PtPor composite integrates the optical properties of CQDs and the anticancer function of porphyrin into a single unit. The spectral results suggested the effective resonance energy transfer from CQDs to PtPor in the CQDs@PtPor composite. Impressively, the CQDs@PtPor composite showed the stronger PDT effect than that of organic molecular PtPor, suggesting that CQDs@PtPor is advantageous over the conventional formulation, attributable to the enhanced efficiency of 1O2 production of PtPor by CQDs. Thus, this CQDs-based drug nanocarrier exhibited enhanced tumor-inhibition efficacy as well as low side effects in vitro, showing significant application potential in the cancer therapy.

Methylene violet 3RAX-conjugated porphyrin for photodynamic therapy: synthesis, DNA photocleavage, and cell study

A novel PDT photosensitizer which features great biomedical properties can be simply prepared.

Platinated porphyrin as a new organelle and nucleus dual-targeted photosensitizer for photodynamic therapy

Organelle and nucleus dual-targeted anticancer drugs are being increasingly used for efficient cancer therapy as they can attack the double vital sites of tumor cells. In this work, we synthesized and characterized two new porphyrin compounds Pt-Por-RB and Me-Por-RB. The spectral titration results suggest that both Pt-Por-RB and Me-Por-RB bind to DNA efficiently in an intercalation binding mode. Upon irradiation, Pt-Por-RB with low dark-cytotoxicity can rapidly generate singlet oxygen to damage the tumor cells through the process of photodynamic therapy. Compared with Me-Por-RB, Pt-Por-RB was not only internalized in the organelles, but also in the nuclei of HeLa cells, probably due to the presence of platinum complexes, as analyzed using the confocal laser scanning microscope. Thus, with the combination of organelle and nucleus dual-targeting property and high efficiency of singlet oxygen generation, Pt-Por-RB showed a significant therapeutic activity against tumor cells.

Synthesis, singlet oxygen generation, photocytotoxicity and subcellular localization of azobisporphyrins as potentially photodynamic therapeutic agents in vitro cell study

Three azobisporphyrins (Por1, Por2 and Por3) were synthesized by coupling two molecules of (4-nitrophenyl/pyridyl) porphyrins in the presence of KOH/butanol. The structures of porphyrins were confirmed by UV, IR, NMR and mass spectra and elemental analysis. With tetraphenylporphyrin (H2TPP) as a control, the singlet oxygen (1O[Formula: see text] generation of porphyrins was evaluated through 1,3-diphenylisobenzofuran (DPBF) method. The order of ability to generate 1O2 for three azobisporphyrins was Por 1 [Formula: see text]Por 2 > Por 3[Formula: see text] H2TPP. The photocytotoxicity and sub-cellular localization of azobisporphyrins over Hela cells were studied through MTT analysis and confocal laser scanning microscope, respectively. The results indicated Por 1 and Por 2 displayed the low dark-cytotoxicity, while Por 3 induced a concentration-dependent cytotoxicity to Hela cells with the concentration of porphyrins ranging from 1 to 100 [Formula: see text] M. With the light dose at 4 J/cm2, Por 3 killed more than 60% Hela cells at 2 [Formula: see text] M, indicating a high photocytoxicity. As seen from the laser scanning confocal microscopy images, Por 3 was mainly localized in cell membrane, while Por 1 and Por 2 do not displayed significant fluorescent emission in Hela cells. These results suggest the synthesized cationic azobisporphyrin could be used as a potential therapeutic agent for photodynamic therapy of cancers.