Synthesis of a new photosensitizer for ablation of Uppsala 87 Malignant Glioma cells

Abstract

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a promising therapeutic modality for cancer treatment. Herein, we reported the synthesis of a newly synthesized photosensitizer (PS), BTR, for photoablation of Uppsala 87 Malignant Glioma (U87MG) cells. BTR nanoparticles (NPs) were prepared by co‐encapsulation with DSPE‐PEG‐2000. The results showed that BTR NPs possess extremely low dark toxicity after cellular uptake. To the opposite, significant phototoxicity of such NPs was observed with the help of a laser, leading to apparent cell apoptosis on U87MG cells. The results indicate that BTR NPs with excellent phototoxicity and low dark toxicity have some potential for photodynamic therapy against cancer cells.