Red fluorescent BODIPY-based nanoparticles for targeted cancer imaging-guided photodynamic therapy
Chanwoo Kim, Duy Khuong, Won-Jin Kim, Isabel Wen Badon, Jinwoong Jo, Dongho Kang, Seok‐Jun Kim, Hojoong Kim, Jaesung Yang
Abstract
NPs in water. Furthermore, the BODIPY backbone was subjected to distyrylation, dibromination, and diethylation to tailor the optical window and the balance between fluorescence and singlet oxygen generation capabilities. We demonstrate that while the photoinduced anticancer activities of LaB-H and LaB-Et NPs were trivial, LaB-Br NPs effectively induced the apoptotic death of hepatocellular carcinoma cells under red light irradiation while allowing fluorescence cell imaging in the phototherapeutic window. This dual fluorescence photosensitizing activity of LaB-Br NPs could be switched off and on, so that both fluorescence and singlet oxygen generation were paused during NP formation in an aqueous solution, while both processes resumed after cellular uptake, likely due to NP disassembly.