A new near infrared photosensitizing nanoplatform containing blue-emitting up-conversion nanoparticles and hypocrellin A for photodynamic therapy of cancer cells

Nanoscale. 2013 Dec 7;5(23):11910-8. doi: 10.1039/c3nr03515h. Epub 2013 Oct 15.

Abstract

The utilization of up-conversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) for photodynamic therapy (PDT) has gained significant interest due to their unique ability to convert near infrared light to UV/visible light. Previous work mainly focused on the fabrication of green and red emitting UCNPs to load photosensitizers (PSs) for PDT. In this work, we firstly developed a new multifunctional nanoplatform combining blue-emitting UCNPs with blue-light excited PS (hypocrellin A, HA) as a NIR photosensitizing nanoplatform for PDT of cancer cells. Tween 20 coated NaYbF4:Tm, Gd@NaGdF4 UCNPs (Tween 20-UCNPs) with strong blue up-conversion luminescence and good water dispersibility were prepared for use as PS carriers. The blue emission band matched well with the efficient absorption band of HA, thereby facilitating the resonance energy transfer from UCNPs to HA and then activating HA to produce singlet oxygen ((1)O2). The in vitro study showed that these Tween 20-UCNPs@HA complexes could efficiently produce (1)O2 to kill cancer cells under 980 nm NIR excitation. Moreover, these Gd(3+) and Yb(3+) containing nanoparticles also exhibited positive contrast effects in both T1 weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT) imaging, making them become a multifunctional platform for simultaneous PDT and bio-imaging.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Cell Survival / drug effects
  • Contrast Media / chemistry
  • Contrast Media / therapeutic use
  • Contrast Media / toxicity
  • Fluorides / chemistry
  • Gadolinium / chemistry
  • HeLa Cells
  • Humans
  • Infrared Rays*
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging
  • Metal Nanoparticles / chemistry*
  • Neoplasms / diagnostic imaging
  • Neoplasms / drug therapy
  • Perylene / analogs & derivatives*
  • Perylene / chemistry
  • Perylene / therapeutic use
  • Perylene / toxicity
  • Phenol
  • Photochemotherapy
  • Photosensitizing Agents / chemistry*
  • Photosensitizing Agents / therapeutic use
  • Photosensitizing Agents / toxicity
  • Polysorbates / chemistry
  • Quinones / chemistry*
  • Quinones / therapeutic use
  • Quinones / toxicity
  • Radiography
  • Singlet Oxygen / metabolism
  • Yttrium / chemistry

Substances

  • Contrast Media
  • Photosensitizing Agents
  • Polysorbates
  • Quinones
  • sodium yttriumtetrafluoride
  • Singlet Oxygen
  • Phenol
  • Yttrium
  • Perylene
  • Gadolinium
  • Fluorides
  • hypocrellin A