Hybrid Theranostic Cubosomes for Efficient NIR-Induced Photodynamic Therapy
Urszula Bazylińska, Dominika Wawrzyńczyk, Julita Kulbacka, Giacomo Picci, Livia Salvati Manni, Stephan Handschin, Marco Fornasier, Claudia Caltagirone, Raffaele Mezzenga, Sergio Murgia
Abstract
against human skin melanoma (MeWo) and ovarian (SKOV-3) cancer cells. Results evidenced the preferential uptake of the theranostic cubosomes in SKOV-3 cells in comparison to uptake in MeWo cells, and this effect was enhanced by the folic acid functionalization of the cubosomes surface. Nanocarriers coloaded with the hybrid fluorophores exhibited a superior NIR-induced photodynamic activity, also confirmed by the improved mitochondrial activity and the most affecting f-actin fibers of cytoskeleton. Similar results, but with higher photocytotoxicity, were detected when folic acid-functionalized cubosomes were incubated with SKOV-3 cells. Taken on the whole, these results prove these hybrid cubosomes are good candidates for the photodynamic treatment of tumor lesions.