Structurally defined tandem-responsive nanoassemblies composed of dipeptide-based photosensitive derivatives and hypoxia-activated camptothecin prodrugs against primary and metastatic breast tumors

Substantial progress in the use of chemo-photodynamic nano-drug delivery systems (nano-DDS) for the treatment of the malignant breast cancer has been achieved. The inability to customize precise nanostructures, however, has limited the therapeutic efficacy of the prepared nano-DDS to date. Here, we report a structurally defined tandem-responsive chemo-photosensitive co-nanoassembly to eliminate primary breast tumor and prevent lung metastasis. This both-in-one co-nanoassembly is prepared by assembling a biocompatible photosensitive derivative (pheophorbide-diphenylalanine peptide, PPA-DA) with a hypoxia-activated camptothecin (CPT) prodrug [(4-nitrophenyl) formate camptothecin, N-CPT]. According to computational simulations, the co-assembly nanostructure is not the classical core-shell type, but consists of many small microphase regions. Upon exposure to a 660 nm laser, PPA-DA induce high levels of ROS production to effectively achieve the apoptosis of normoxic cancer cells. Subsequently, the hypoxia-activated N-CPT and CPT spatially penetrate deep into the hypoxic region of the tumor and suppress hypoxia-induced tumor metastasis. Benefiting from the rational design of the chemo-photodynamic both-in-one nano-DDS, these nanomedicines exhibit a promising potential in the inhibition of difficult-to-treat breast tumor metastasis in patients with breast cancer.

Nanoparticles of water-soluble dyads based on amino acid fullerene C60 derivatives and pyropheophorbide: Synthesis, photophysical properties, and photodynamic activity

Synthesis, spectral properties, and photodynamic activity of water-soluble amino acid fullerene C₆₀ derivatives (AFD) and four original AFD-PPa dyads, obtained by covalent addition of dye pyropheophorbide (PPa) to AFD, were studied. In aqueous solution, these AFD-PPa dyads form nanoassociates as a result of self-assembly. In this case, a significant change in the absorption spectra and strong quenching of the dye fluorescence in the structure of the dyads were observed. A comparison of superoxide or singlet oxygen generation efficiency of the studied compounds in an aqueous solution showed the photodynamic mechanism switching from type II (singlet oxygen generation of the native dye) to I type (superoxide generation of dyads). All dyads have pronounced phototoxicity on cells Hela with IC₅₀ 9.2 µM, 9.2 µM, 12.2 µM for dyads Val-C₆₀-PPa, Ala-C₆₀-PPa and Pro-C₆₀-PPa, respectively. Such facilitation of type I photodynamic mechanism could be perspective against hypoxic tumors.