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A Mitochondria‐Targeted Photosensitizer Showing Improved Photodynamic Therapy Effects Under Hypoxia
Author(s) -
Lv Wen,
Zhang Zhang,
Zhang Kenneth Yin,
Yang Huiran,
Liu Shujuan,
Xu Aqiang,
Guo Song,
Zhao Qiang,
Huang Wei
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
angewandte chemie
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1521-3757
pISSN - 0044-8249
DOI - 10.1002/ange.201604130
Subject(s) - photodynamic therapy , photosensitizer , mitochondrion , hela , chemistry , lysosome , hypoxia (environmental) , tumor hypoxia , reactive oxygen species , intracellular , quenching (fluorescence) , biophysics , oxygen , organelle , cancer research , biochemistry , photochemistry , fluorescence , medicine , biology , cell , enzyme , physics , organic chemistry , quantum mechanics , radiation therapy
Organelle‐targeted photosensitizers have been reported to be effective photodynamic therapy (PDT) agents. In this work, we designed and synthesized two iridium(III) complexes that specifically stain the mitochondria and lysosomes of living cells, respectively. Both complexes exhibited long‐lived phosphorescence, which is sensitive to oxygen quenching. The photocytotoxicity of the complexes was evaluated under normoxic and hypoxic conditions. The results showed that HeLa cells treated with the mitochondria‐targeted complex maintained a slower respiration rate, leading to a higher intracellular oxygen level under hypoxia. As a result, this complex exhibited an improved PDT effect compared to the lysosome‐targeted complex, especially under hypoxia conditions, suggestive of a higher practicable potential of mitochondria‐targeted PDT agents in cancer therapy.