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Targeted intracellular delivery of photosensitizers to enhance photodynamic efficiency
Author(s) -
Rosenkranz Andrey A,
Jans David A,
Sobolev Alexander S
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
immunology and cell biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.999
H-Index - 104
eISSN - 1440-1711
pISSN - 0818-9641
DOI - 10.1046/j.1440-1711.2000.00925.x
Subject(s) - intracellular , photodynamic therapy , internalization , cytoplasm , photosensitizer , biophysics , chemistry , cell , nucleus , microbiology and biotechnology , biochemistry , biology , photochemistry , organic chemistry
Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a novel treatment, used mainly for anticancer therapy, that depends on the retention of photosensitizers (PS) in tumour cells and irradiation of the tumour with appropriate wavelength light. Photosensitizers are molecules such as porphyrins and chlorins that, on photoactivation, effect strongly localized oxidative damage within target cells. The PS used for PDT localize in various cytoplasmic membranous structures, but are not found in the most vulnerable intracellular sites for reactive oxygen species, such as the cell nucleus. The experimental approaches discussed in the present paper indicate that it is possible to design highly efficient molecular constructs, PS carriers, with specific modules conferring cell‐specific targeting, internalization, escape from intracellular vesicles and targeting to the most vulnerable intracellular compartments, such as the nucleus. Nuclear targeting of these PS‐carrying constructs results in enhanced photodynamic activity, maximally about 2500‐fold that of free PS. Future work is intended to optimize this approach to the point at which tumour cells can be killed rapidly and efficiently, while minimizing normal cell and tissue damage.