Hematoporphyrin Photosensitizer-Linked Carbon Quantum Dots for Photodynamic Therapy of Cancer Cells

Abstract

The direct use of conventional photosensitizers in photodynamic therapy (PDT) of cancer cells has been thwarted by their low solubility, poor photostability, and aggregation tendency. Hence, complex and hectic synthetic procedures, such as developing nanomaterials and subsequently loading them with photosensitizers, have become mandatory for the effective use of photosensitizers in PDT. In this study, we have avoided complex procedures and produce hematoporphyrin (HP) photosensitizer-encapsulated carbon quantum dots (CQDs) (HP-CQDs) facilely through a well-controlled one-step microwave reaction by using the HP monomer as one of the precursors. The as-synthesized HP-CQDs retained all intrinsic optical and chemical properties of HP, while displaying excellent solubility in water. Importantly, the excellent reactive oxygen species generation ability of HP-CQDs under the illumination of deep red light favored their applicability in PDT-assisted efficient eradication of human breast cancer cells (MCF-7). Compared to HP, HP-CQDs exhibited very high phototoxicity and low dark toxicity toward MCF-7 cells. Overall, this study offers a proof of concept that photosensitizer-implanted CQDs, having excellence in PDT-assisted cancer treatment, can be easily designed by strategically exploiting the diversity available in the selection of precursors and synthesis conditions to produce CQDs.

Ultraviolet–Ozone-Activation-Driven Ag Nanoparticles Grown on Plastic Substrates for Antibacterial Applications

“…XPS survey scan spectra of AgNP-coated PET films or fibers conclusively revealed the presence of Ag 3d binding energy peaks, besides exhibiting C 1s and O 1s binding energy peaks similar to their bare counterparts (Figure ). − The relative atomic composition of each element in the Ag-coated PET film was estimated to be C 1s ∼70 at. %, O 1s ∼29 at.…”

Carbon-based glyco-nanoplatforms: towards the next generation of glycan-based multivalent probes

“…CD nanoparticles have found a great number of applications as anticancer agents. Indeed, their tunable fluorescence emission profiles, 125 their versatility as anticancer agents through PTT, 126 PDT, 127 as nanocarriers for drugs 128 and gene delivery, 129 and as immunostimulants 130 have revealed these materials to be an ideal tool for cancer theranostics. Moreover, the use of key glycan epitopes decorating the surface of CDs can improve the cellular targeting selectivity toward malignant cells expressing lectins and in general glycan-binding receptors ( e.g.…”

Nanoformulation of Tetrapyrroles Derivatives in Photodynamic Therapy: A Focus on Bacteriochlorin

“…Antitumor-MCF-7 cells (i) CQDs and HP-CQDs having high ROS generation properties in PDT cancer treatment [84] Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine nanoparticles synthesized using a solvent evaporation method. is method was mainly preferred for the encapsulation of Bchl α, and the experiments showed enhanced results due to the spectroscopic properties.…”