Chemical molecule-induced light-activated system for anticancer and antifungal activities.

Abstract

Except for chemotherapy, surgery, and radiotherapy, photodynamic therapy (PDT) as new therapy modality is already in wide clinic use for the treatment of various diseases. The major bottleneck of this technique is the requirement of outer light source, which always limits effective application of PDT to the lesions in deeper tissue. Here, we first report a new modality for treating cancer and microbial infections, which is activated by chemical molecules instead of outer light irradiation. In this system, in situ bioluminescence of luminol can be absorbed by a cationic oligo(p-phenylene vinylene) (OPV) that acts as the photosensitizer through bioluminescence resonance energy transfer (BRET) process. The excited OPV sensitizes oxygen molecule in the surroundings to produce reactive oxygen species (ROS) that kill the adjacent cancer cells in vitro and in vivo, and pathogenic microbes. By avoiding the use of light irradiation, this work opens a new therapy modality to tumor and pathogen infections.

• Authors: Huanxiang Yuan, Hui Chong, Bing Wang, Chunlei Zhu, Libing Liu, Qiong Yang, Fengting Lv, Shu Wang
• Journal: Journal of the American Chemical Society (J Am Chem Soc) Vol. 134 Issue 32 Pg. 13184-7 (Aug 15 2012) ISSN: 1520-5126 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 22830933 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Antifungal Agents
• Antineoplastic Agents
• Photosensitizing Agents
• Polyvinyls
• oligo(p-phenylene vinylene)

Topics

• Antifungal Agents
• Antineoplastic Agents
• Cell Survival (drug effects)
• Fungi (drug effects)
• HeLa Cells
• Humans
• Light
• Luminescent Measurements
• Molecular Structure
• Neoplasms (drug therapy)
• Photosensitizing Agents (pharmacology)
• Polyvinyls (pharmacology)