Noncovalent Interactions with PAMAM and PPI Dendrimers Promote the Cellular Uptake and Photodynamic Activity of Rose Bengal: The Role of the Dendrimer Structure
Krzysztof Sztandera, Michał Gorzkiewicz, Ana S. Martins, Lorenzo Pallante, Eric A. Zizzi, Marcello Miceli, Mateusz Bątal, Catarina Pinto Reis, Marco A. Deriu, Barbara Klajnert‐Maculewicz
Abstract
characterization of interactions between rose bengal and cationic poly(amidoamine) (PAMAM) and poly(propyleneimine) (PPI) dendrimers of the third and fourth generation and assessed the ability of the resultant complexes to modulate the photosensitizing properties of the drug. We focused on explaining the molecular basis of this phenomenon and proved that the generation- and structure-dependent binding of the dye by the dendrimers increases the cellular uptake and production of singlet oxygen and intracellular reactive oxygen species, leading to an increase in phototoxicity. We conclude that the application of dendrimer carriers could enable the design of efficient photodynamic therapies based on rose bengal.