CAS Key Laboratory for Biomedical Effects of Nanomaterials and Nanosafety , National Center for Nanoscience and Technology , Beijing 100190 , China.
Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences (BNLMS), Key Laboratory of Colloid and Interface Science , Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences , Beijing 100190 , China.
Nano Lett. 2019 Mar 13;19(3):1821-1826. doi: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.8b04875. Epub 2019 Feb 19.
As a noninvasive treatment, photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a promising strategy against tumors. It is based on photosensitizer (PS)-induced phototoxicity after irradiation. However, most clinically approved PSs will be widely distributed in normal tissues, especially in the skin, where they will induce phototoxicity on exposure to light. Therefore, patients must remain in a dark room for up to several weeks during or after a PDT. Herein, we proposed a strategy of aggregation-induced emission PSs (AIE-PSs) entrapped in liposomes with controlled photosensitization. The AIE-PSs begin to lose their photosensitivity when entrapped in liposomes. After liposomes have carried AIE-PSs into tumor tissues, the AIE-PSs will be released and immediately reaggregate in a targeted area as the liposomes are decomposed. Their photosensitivity can be triggered at turn-on state and induce cytotoxicity. Two different types of AIE molecules were synthesized and entrapped by liposomes, respectively, to verify the PDT features against tumors in vitro and in vivo. The results indicate that, using this strategy, the photosensitivity of AIE-PS can be controlled and PDT can be treated under normal working conditions, not necessarily in a dark room.
作为一种非侵入性的治疗方法，光动力疗法（PDT）是一种有前途的肿瘤治疗策略。它基于光敏剂（PS）在照射后诱导的光毒性。然而，大多数临床批准的 PS 会广泛分布在正常组织中，特别是在皮肤中，在那里它们会在暴露于光时引起光毒性。因此，患者在 PDT 期间或之后必须在暗室中呆上长达数周。在这里，我们提出了一种将聚集诱导发射 PS（AIE-PS）包封在脂质体中的策略，以控制光敏化作用。AIE-PS 在包封在脂质体中时开始失去其光敏性。当脂质体将 AIE-PS 携带到肿瘤组织中后，AIE-PS 将被释放并立即在靶向区域重新聚集，因为脂质体被分解。它们的光敏性可以在开启状态下被触发，并诱导细胞毒性。两种不同类型的 AIE 分子分别被脂质体包封，以验证体外和体内对肿瘤的 PDT 特征。结果表明，通过这种策略，可以控制 AIE-PS 的光敏性，并可以在正常工作条件下进行 PDT 治疗，而不一定在暗室中进行。
