pH- and Thiol-Responsive BODIPY-Based Photosensitizers for Targeted Photodynamic Therapy.

A diiodo distyryl boron dipyrromethene (BODIPY) core was conjugated to two ferrocenyl quenchers through acid-labile ketal and/or thiol-cleavable disulfide linkers, of which the fluorescence and photosensitizing properties were significantly quenched through a photoinduced electron-transfer process. The two symmetrical analogues that contained either the ketal or disulfide linkers could only be activated by a single stimulus, whereas the unsymmetrical analogue was responsive to dual stimuli. Upon interaction with acid and/or dithiothreitol (DTT), these linkers were cleaved selectively. The separation of the BODIPY core and the ferrocenyl moieties restored the photoactivities of the former in phosphate buffered saline and inside the MCF-7 breast cancer cells, rendering these compounds as potential activable photosensitizers for targeted photodynamic therapy. The dual activable analogue exhibited the greatest enhancement in intracellular fluorescence intensity in both an acidic environment (pH 5) and the presence of DTT (4 mm). Its photocytotoxicity against MCF-7 cells also increased by about twofold upon preincubation with 4 mm of DTT. The activation of this compound was also demonstrated in nude mice bearing a HT29 human colorectal carcinoma. A significant increase in fluorescence intensity in the tumor was observed over 9 h after intratumoral injection.

A dual activatable photosensitizer toward targeted photodynamic therapy.

An unsymmetrical bisferrocenyl silicon(IV) phthalocyanine has been prepared in which the disulfide and hydrazone linkers can be cleaved by dithiothreitol and acid, respectively. The separation of the ferrocenyl quenchers and the phthalocyanine core greatly enhances the fluorescence emission, singlet oxygen production, intracellular fluorescence intensity, and in vitro photocytotoxicity. The results have been compared with those for the two symmetrical analogues which contain either the disulfide or hydrazone linker and therefore can only be activated by one of these stimuli. For the dual activatable agent, the greatest enhancement can be attained under a slightly acidic environment (pH = 4.5-6.8) and in the presence of dithiothreitol (in millimolar range), which can roughly mimic the acidic and reducing environment of tumor tissues. This compound can also be activated in tumor-bearing nude mice. It exhibits an increase in fluorescence intensity in the tumor over the first 10 h after intratumoral injection and can effectively inhibit the growth of tumor upon illumination.

A disulfide-linked conjugate of ferrocenyl chalcone and silicon(IV) phthalocyanine as an activatable photosensitiser.

A novel bis(ferrocenyl chalcone) silicon(IV) phthalocyanine has been prepared in which the disulfide linker can be cleaved by dithiothreitol. The separation of the ferrocenyl quencher and the phthalocyanine core greatly enhances the fluorescence emission, singlet oxygen production and in vitro photocytotoxicity.

A zinc(II) phthalocyanine conjugated with an oxaliplatin derivative for dual chemo- and photodynamic therapy.

A novel zinc(II) phthalocyanine substituted with an oxaliplatin derivative via a triethylene glycol linker has been synthesized. The two components work in a cooperative manner in the antitumor action. The conjugate shows a cytotoxic effect in the dark due to the cytostatic oxaliplatin moiety and an enhanced cytotoxicity upon illumination due to the photosensitizing phthalocyanine unit against the HT29 human colon adenocarcinoma cells. The IC(50) value of the conjugate is as low as 0.11 µM, which is 5-fold lower than that of the reference compound without the platinum complex. The high photodynamic activity of the conjugate can be attributed to its high cellular uptake and efficiency in generating intracellular reactive oxygen species. The conjugate also shows preferential localization in the lysosomes of the cells and induces cell death mainly through apoptosis.

Formation and photoinduced processes of a self-assembled subphthalocyanine-porphyrin-phthalocyanine supramolecular complex.

We report herein the formation and excitation energy transfer property of a ternary supramolecular complex of subphthalocyanine-porphyrin-phthalocyanine held by host-guest interactions.

Switching the photoinduced processes in host-guest complexes of ß-cyclodextrin-substituted silicon(IV) phthalocyanines and a tetrasulfonated porphyrin.

Porphyrins and phthalocyanines are two attractive classes of functional dyes for the construction of artificial light harvesting and charge separation molecular systems. The assembly of these components by supramolecular approach is of particular interest as this provides a facile route to build multi-chromophoric arrays with various architectures and tuneable photophysical properties. We report herein a series of host-guest complexes formed between a tetrasulfonated porphyrin and several silicon(IV) phthalocyanines substituted axially with two permethylated ß-cyclodextrin units via different spacers. As shown by electronic absorption and fluorescence spectroscopic methods, the two components bind spontaneously in a 1:1 manner in water with large binding constants in the range of 1.1 × 10(7) to 3.5 × 10(8) M(-1). The photophysical properties of the resulting supramolecular complexes have also been studied in detail using steady-state and time-resolved optical spectroscopic methods. It has been found that two major photoinduced processes, namely fluorescence resonance energy transfer and charge transfer are involved which are controlled by the spacer between the ß-cyclodextrin units and the silicon centre of phthalocyanine. Despite the fact that charge transfer is a thermodynamically favourable process for all the complexes, only the ones with a tetraethylene glycol or oxo linker exhibit an efficient charge transfer from the excited phthalocyanine to the porphyrin entity. The lifetimes of the corresponding charge-separated states have been determined to be 200 and 70 ps by picosecond pump-probe experiments.

Unsymmetrical ß-cyclodextrin-conjugated silicon(IV) phthalocyanines as highly potent photosensitisers for photodynamic therapy.

A series of unsymmetrical silicon(IV) phthalocyanines with a permethylated ß-cyclodextrin unit and a sugar or a diamino moiety as the axial substituents have been prepared. These compounds are highly photocytotoxic with IC(50) values as low as 21 nM, which is ca. sevenfold lower than those of the symmetrical bis(cyclodextrin) analogue.

Preparation and photodynamic activities of silicon(IV) phthalocyanines substituted with permethylated ß-cyclodextrins.

A series of silicon(IV) phthalocyanines linked to two permethylated ß-cyclodextrin moieties through different spacers at the axial positions have been synthesized and characterized. The effects of these spacers on the photophysical properties and in vitro photodynamic activities have also been examined. Having two bulky hydrophilic substituents, all of these compounds are soluble and essentially nonaggregated in DMF and even in aqueous media. The fluorescence and singlet oxygen quantum yields in DMF are lower for the analogue with the shortest separation between the amino group in the spacer and the phthalocyanine ring. The fluorescence quantum yield of this compound increases in water probably due to protonation of the amino group, which inhibits the reductive quenching process. This series of compounds also exhibit photocytotoxicity toward HT29 human colon adenocarcinoma and HepG2 human hepatocarcinoma cells with IC(50) values in the range of 0.04-1.32 µM. The analogue with an α,ω-aminohydroxypentyl linker shows the highest potency, which can be ascribed to its high cellular uptake and high efficiency in generating intracellular reactive oxygen species. This compound also shows preferential localization in the lysosome, induces cell death mainly through apoptosis, and inhibits the growth of tumor in vivo. The results suggest that it is a promising photosensitizer for photodynamic therapy.