On the basis of a fundamental property of nanoparticles, the self-assembling at a liquid-liquid interface to form "colloidosomes", a heterogeneous reaction takes place on the exposed surface of the nanoparticles to produce the heterodimers of two distinct nanospheres, which can be modified by two different functional molecules in a particle-specific manner.

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Rapid initiation of apoptosis can be induced by photodynamic therapy, depending on the cell line and sensitizer employed. In this study, we evaluated the photodynamic responses to two structurally related photosensitizing agents, using the P388 murine leukemia cell line in culture. Photodamage mediated by tin etiopurpurin involved lysosomes and mitochondria and yielded a rapid apoptotic response; apoptotic nuclei were observed within 60 min after PDT. A drug analog, tin octaethylpurpurin amidine, targeted lysosomes, mitochondria and cell membranes; apoptotic nuclei were not observed until 24 h after PDT. These results, together with other recent reports, are consistent with the hypothesis that membrane photodamage can delay or prevent an apoptotic response to PDT.

No abstract

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) of neoplastic cell lines is sometimes associated with the rapid initiation of apoptosis, a mode of cell death that results in a distinct pattern of cellular and DNA fragmentation. The apoptotic response appears to be a function of both the sensitizer and the cell line. In this study, we examined photodynamic effects of several photosensitizers on murine leukemia P388 cells. Two drugs, a porphycene dimer (PcD) and tin etiopurpurin (SnET2), which localized at lysosomal sites, were tested at PDT doses that resulted in 50% loss of viability (LD50), measured by the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. An oligonucleosomal pattern of DNA degradation was observed within 1 h after irradiation. Neither sensitizer antagonized PDT-mediated internucleosomal DNA cleavage by the other. Very high PDT doses with either agent abolished this rapid internucleosomal cleavage. Exposure of cells to high concentrations of either sensitizer in the dark also resulted in rapid DNA fragmentation to nucleosomes and nucleosome multimers; this effect was not altered by the antioxidant 6-hydroxy-2,5,7,8-tetramethyl-chroman-2-carboxylic acid (trolox), although the latter could protect cells from cytotoxicity and apoptotic effects caused by LD50 PDT doses. Photodamage from two cationic sensitizers, which localized at membrane sites, caused rapid DNA cleavage to 50 kb particles; however, no further fragmentation was detected after 1 h under LD10, LD50 or LD95 PDT conditions. Moreover, the presence of either cationic sensitizer inhibited the rapid internucleosomal cleavage induced by SnET2 or PcD photodamage. The site of photodynamic action may therefore be a major determinant of the initiation and rate of progression of apoptosis.

This paper reports the synthesis, characterization, and cellular uptake of the conjugate of porphyrin and iron oxide nanoparticles, which may lead to a bimodal anticancer agent that can be used in the combinational treatment of photodynamic therapy (PDT) and hyperthermia therapy (HT).

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A novel perfluorinated corrole, 2,3,7,8,12,13,17,18-octafluoro-5,10,15-tris(pentafluorophenyl)corrole, and its manganese(III) and oxomanganese(V) derivatives have been synthesized. The perfluorinated manganese corrolate exhibited excellent reactivity and stability in the catalytic oxidation of alkenes with iodosylbenzene.