Nanoparticles for Triple Drug Release for Combined Chemo- and Photodynamic Therapy

Gabriel Martínez-Edo, Evelyn Y. Xue, Summer Y.Y. Ha, Iris Pontón, José Antonio González-Delgado, Salvador Borrós, Tomás Torres*, Dennis K.P. Ng*, David Sánchez-García*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Indexed journal article Articlepeer-review

7 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

A pH-responsive drug delivery system (DDS) based on mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) has been prepared for the delivery of three anticancer drugs with different modes of action. The novelty of this system is its ability to combine synergistic chemotherapy and photodynamic therapy. A photoactive conjugate of a phthalocyanine (Pc) and a topoisomerase I inhibitor (topo-I), namely camptothecin (CPT), linked by a poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) chain has been synthesized and then loaded into the mesopores of MSNs. Doxorubicin (DOX), which is a topoisomerase II inhibitor (topo-II), has also been covalently anchored to the outer surface of the MSNs through a dihydrazide PEG linker. In the acidic environment of tumor cells, selective release of the three drugs takes place. In vitro studies have demonstrated the endocytosis of the system into HeLa and HepG2 cells, and the subsequent release of the three drugs into the cytoplasm and nucleus. Furthermore, the cytotoxic effect of DOX, CPT and Pc has been assessed in vitro before and upon light irradiation.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)14610-14618
Number of pages9
JournalChemistry - A European Journal
Volume27
Issue number59
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 21 Oct 2021

Keywords

  • camptothecin
  • combination therapy
  • doxorubicin
  • mesoporous silica nanoparticles
  • photodynamic therapy
  • phthalocyanine

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Nanoparticles for Triple Drug Release for Combined Chemo- and Photodynamic Therapy'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this