Nanoscintillator-Mediated X-ray Inducible Photodynamic Therapy for In Vivo Cancer Treatment

Abstract

Photodynamic therapy is a promising treatment method, but its applications are limited by the shallow penetration of visible light. Here, we report a novel X-ray inducible photodynamic therapy (X-PDT) approach that allows PDT to be regulated by X-rays. Upon X-ray irradiation, the integrated nanosystem, comprised of a core of a nanoscintillator and a mesoporous silica coating loaded with photosensitizers, converts X-ray photons to visible photons to activate the photosensitizers and cause efficient tumor shrinkage.

Plasma membrane activatable polymeric nanotheranostics with self-enhanced light-triggered photosensitizer cellular influx for photodynamic cancer therapy

“…These PS-containing NPs include inorganic NPs [11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20], quantum dots [21][22][23], liposomes [24][25][26], micelles [27][28][29][30], protein-based NPs [31][32][33][34][35][36], nucleic acid-based NPs [37,38], and porphysomes [39,40]. Besides, many stimuli-responsive polymeric drug carriers have been developed to achieve controlled release of PS molecules and activatable PDT strategy [41][42][43].…”

Scintillating Nanoparticles as Energy Mediators for Enhanced Photodynamic Therapy

“…101 Remarkably, a single low X-ray dose (0.5 Gy) was sufficient to cause damage to the cancer cells both in vitro and in vivo . Moreover, this nanomaterial could reduce tumor growth rate in U87MG xenograft models without damaging the normal tissues.…”

X-Ray Induced Photodynamic Therapy: A Combination of Radiotherapy and Photodynamic Therapy

“…Recently, we and others have developed a new PDT derivative called X-ray induced PDT, or X-PDT 14-17. The goal is to break the shallow penetration restriction by using X-ray as an energy source 18.…”

“…The goal is to break the shallow penetration restriction by using X-ray as an energy source 18. The idea of utilizing X-ray to overcome the shallow penetration of PDT was first raised by Chen et al in 2006 19, but it was not until very recently that we and the Chen group demonstrated its feasibility in vivo 14-17. In particular, we showed in a recent study that SrAl 2 O 4 :Eu 2+ nanoparticle (SAO:Eu, a scintillator which convert X-ray photons to visible photons) and MC540 (a photosensitizer with matching excitation wavelength) co-loaded mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MC540-SAO:Eu@mSiO 2 ) can produce singlet oxygen ( 1 O 2 ) under X-ray radiation, leading to efficient cancer cell death, even when the cells are beneath thick tissues 14.…”