Doxorubicin/Ce6-Loaded Nanoparticle Coated with Polymer via Singlet Oxygen-Sensitive Linker for Photodynamically Assisted Chemotherapy

It is widely known that the therapeutic effect of nanoparticle-based chemotherapeutics could be greatly enhanced by the introduction of the photodynamic effect. Herein we report a chlorin e6-incorporated mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) covered with a polyethylene glycol shell conjugated via a singlet oxygen-sensitive labile bis(alkylthio)alkene linker (CeAP-L-PEG). In this study, single irradiation with biocompatible red light induced both intracellular doxorubicin release and photochemical internalization, and consequently enhanced anti-cancer effect was observed in vitro and in vivo. This study suggests the potential of our precisely designed nanoparticle system for photodynamically assisted chemotherapy.