Highly Biocompatible Chlorin e6-Loaded Chitosan Nanoparticles for Improved Photodynamic Cancer Therapy

Abstract

The photosensitizer Chlorin e6 (Ce6) has been frequently employed for photodynamic therapy (PDT) of cancer; however, its nonspecific toxicity has limited its clinical applications. In this study, we prepared chitosan nanoparticles (CNPs), with a mean diameter of approximately 130 nm, by a nonsolvent-aided counterion complexation method in an aqueous solution, into which Ce6 could be physically entrapped during the preparation process. These CNPs and Ce6-loaded CNPs (CNPs-Ce6) were fully characterized by UV-vis, photoluminescence, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopic analysis, as well as dynamic light scattering and transmission electron microscopy measurements. More importantly, the biocompatibility of the otherwise toxic Ce6 was significantly improved upon its loading into the CNPs, as demonstrated by both confocal laser scanning microscopy analysis and 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assays. Furthermore, the PDT efficiency of Ce6-loaded CNPs was dramatically enhanced, in comparison with that of the free Ce6, as shown by both MTT and flow cytometry assays. This discovery provides a novel strategy for improving the biocompatibility and therapeutic efficacy of PDT agents by using a natural, biocompatible polysaccharide carrier.

Synthesis of ginsenoside Re-based carbon dots applied for bioimaging and effective inhibition of cancer cells

“…Many investigations have found that the ROS levels in cancer cells are significantly associated with anticancer effect including proliferation inhibition and apoptosis induction. 30,[56][57][58][59] In order to explore the effect of Re-CDs on the inhibition of cancer cells, we measured the ROS level in A375 cells after they were treated with Re-CDs, by a flow cytometer. Results are displayed in Figure 6.…”

“…High content of the ROS generated in cancer cells caused oxidative damage and apoptosis, therefore the Re-CDs showed desirable anticancer effect. 30,59,60 Different influences on the cell viabilities of cancer and normal cells might be related to the existence of Re-derived rare ginsenoside and the intracellular high-content imaging analysis for apoptosis and necrosis of cancer cells treated with re-cDs For further research about cell apoptosis and necrosis, after treating the cells with Re-CDs, Hoechst/PI double-staining method was applied in this experiment. 61 Hoechst 33342 could penetrate the cell membrane into cells, while PI could not enter the cells with normal construction of the cell membrane.…”

Polymeric Nanogels as Versatile Nanoplatforms for Biomedical Applications

“…Chitin-based NG of doxorubicin can be used for various types of cancers including lungs, breast, liver, and prostate cancer [99]. Similarly, photosensitizer agent chlorin e6 has been recently used for the photodynamic therapy of cancer using chitosan-based NGs [100]. A descriptive detail of the anticancer applications of NGs is given in Table 1. 4.6.…”

Nanoparticles based on sodium alginate and β-conglycinin: Self-assembly and delivery of Phyllanthus urinaria phenolic compounds

“…Nanoparticles self-assembled by biopolymers, such as proteins and polysaccharides, have aroused great interests to deliver drugs or bioactive substances (Fioramonti, Perez, Aríngoli, Rubiolo, & Santiago, 2014;Gao, Tang, Gong et al, 2017;Jones & McClements, 2011) for their high availability, biocompatibility, nontoxicity, and biodegradability (Dai et al, 2018;Fioramonti et al, 2014). Sodium alginate (SA), a natural anionic polysaccharide, consisted of mannuronic (M) and guluronic (G) acid residues (Rahmani & Sheardown, 2018) has been extensively investigated for the applications in drug delivery (Agüeroa, Zaldivar-Silva, Peña, & Dias, 2017;Ding et al, 2018), 3D bioprinting (Axpe & Oyen, 2016), active substance encapsulation (Pandolfi, Pereira, Dufresne, & Legallais, 2017), tissue engineering (Reakasame & Boccaccini, 2018), and food industry. β-conglycinin (7S) is a major globulin of soy protein, and its isoelectric point is near 4.8.…”