Photodynamic effects of porphyrin-polyamine conjugates in human breast cancer and keratinocyte cell lines

Porphyrin-polyamine conjugates bearing two (cis or trans position) or four spermidine or spermine units were synthesized. We studied the photostability, the hydrophilic/lipophilic balance of porphyrin-polyamine derivatives and the production of singlet oxygen. All these compounds possess physicochemical features required for their use in PDT. Then, we investigated the photocytotoxic efficacy of these porphyrin-polyamine derivatives and the cell death pathway implicated. All compounds appear to be more efficient than Photofrin? to induce HaCat and MCF7 cell death, essentially by apoptosis. Collectively, these data show that porphyrin-polyamine conjugates could be promising phototherapeutic agents.     

A cancer cell turn-on protein-CuSMn nanoparticle as the sensor of breast cancer cell and CH3O-PEG-phosphatide

A cancer activated protein-inorganic nanoparticle was used as breast cancer cell turn-on fluorescence sensor and NIR activated attenuator.     

A dendritic cell-like biomimetic nanoparticle enhances T cell activation for breast cancer immunotherapy

Cancer immunotherapy has remarkably improved the therapeutic effect of melanoma and non-small cell lung cancer in the clinic. Nevertheless, it showed disappointing clinical outcomes for treating immunosuppressive tumors, wherein aggressive T cells are rather limited in tumor sites. Therefore, regulating the behavior of T cells in tumor sites to increase their attack ability for suppressing the immunosuppressive tumor is highly desirable. Inspiringly, we designed a dendritic cell-like biomimetic nanoparticle (DMSNs³@HA) to regulate the behavior of T cells for improving the immunotherapy effect against immunosuppressive tumors. In this work, anti-CD3 and anti-CD28 were responsible for mimicking dendritic cells to activate T cells, and anti-PD-1 for blocking the pathway of PD-1/PD-L1 to break the immune “brake”, which synergistically regulated the behavior of T cells to attack cancer cells. Experimental results indicated that DMSNs³@HA can effectively activate T cells and improve their immune response to significantly inhibit the growth of breast cancer. Moreover, it also proved that T cell activation combining immune checkpoint blocking induced the “1 + 1 >2” immunotherapy effect against immunosuppressive tumors. We expect that this strategy will provide new insights into tumor immunotherapy by modulating T cell behavior.

A dendritic cell-like biomimetic nanoparticle has been designed to regulate the behavior of T cells for improving the immunotherapy effect against immunosuppressive tumors.     

Type I and type II sensitizers based on Rose Bengal onium salts

Abstract— New Rose Bengal oniurn salts containing one or two iodonium, sulfonium, phosphonium, and pyrylium ions have been prepared as part of a program to develop sensitizers which can function as Type I radical photoinitiators and Type II energy transfer donors depending on experimental conditions. The absorption spectra of the onium salts in different solvents indicate an equilibrium between tight and loose ion pairs which depends on the solvent polarity, the cation and concentration. Typical Rose Bengal photochemistry requires the structure be that of the loose ion pair in the solvent of choice. Similar factors also influence bleaching behavior, and bleaching is the result of electron transfer processes. The quantum yields of singlet oxygen production from the onium salts in polar solvents are similar to that of the parent, Rose Bengal disodium salt.     

5-Aminolevulinic acid-induced protoporphyrin-IX accumulation and associated phototoxicity in macrophages and oral cancer cell lines

Studies were carried out on 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA)-induced protoporphyrin (PpIX) synthesis in mice peritoneal macrophages and two human oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) cell lines NT8e and 4451. Cells were treated with 200 microg/ml ALA for 15 h and PpIX accumulation was monitored by spectrofluorometry and phototoxicity to red light (630+/-20 nm) was measured by MTT assay. PpIX accumulation was higher in macrophages as compared to OSCC cells under both normal serum concentration (10%) and conditions of serum depletion. The results on phototoxicity measurements correlated well with the levels of PpIX accumulation in both macrophages and cancer cells. While red light caused 20% phototoxicity in macrophages, no phototoxicity was seen in 4451 cells at 10% serum. Decrease in serum concentration to 5% and 1% led to higher phototoxicity corresponding to 40% and 70% in macrophages and 10% and 15% in 4451 cells. Similar results were obtained in NT8e cell line. Propidium iodide staining followed by fluorescence microscopic observations on photodynamically treated co-culture of murine or human macrophages and cancer cells showed selective damage to macrophages. These results suggest that in OSCC, macrophages would contribute more to tumor PpIX level than tumor cells themselves and PDT may lead to selective killing of macrophages at the site of treatment. Since macrophages are responsible for production and secretion of various tumor growth mediators, the effect of selective macrophage killing on the outcome of PDT would be significant.     

Endocytosis of a single mesoporous silica nanoparticle into a human lung cancer cell observed by differential interference contrast microscopy

The unique structural features of mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSN) have made them very useful in biological applications, such as gene therapy and drug delivery. Flow cytometry, confocal microscopy, and electron microscopy have been used for observing the endocytosis of MSN. However, flow cytometry cannot directly observe the process of endocytosis. Confocal microscopy requires fluorescence labeling of the cells. Electron microscopy can only utilize fixed cells. In the present work, we demonstrate for the first time that differential interference contrast (DIC) microscopy can be used to observe the entire endocytosis process of MSN into living human lung cancer cells (A549) without fluorescence staining. There are three physical observables that characterize the locations of MSN and the stages of the endocytosis process: motion, shape, and vertical position. When it was outside the cell, the MSN underwent significant Brownian motion in the cell growth medium. When it was trapped on the cell membrane, the motion of the MSN was greatly limited. After the MSN had entered the cell, it resumed motion at a much slower speed because the cytoplasm is more viscous than the cell growth medium and the cellular cytoskeleton networks act as obstacles. Moreover, there were shape changes around the MSN due to the formation of a vesicle after the MSN had been trapped on the cell membrane and prior to entry into the cell. Finally, by coupling a motorized vertical stage to the DIC microscope, we recorded the location of the MSN in three dimensions. Such accurate 3D particle tracking ability in living cells is essential for studies of selectively targeted drug delivery based on endocytosis.     

Signalling probe displacement electrochemical aptasensor for malignant cell surface nucleolin as a breast cancer biomarker based on gold nanoparticle decorated hydroxyapatite nanorods and silver nanoparticle labels

Nucleolin is a multifunctional protein that is markedly overexpressed on the surface of most cancer cells. By taking advantage of the high affinity and specificity of the AS1411 aptamer for nucleolin, a signalling probe displacement electrochemical aptasensor was developed. The thiolated AS1411 aptamer was conjugated to hydroxyapatite nanorods (HApNRs) decorated with gold nanoparticles (AuNPs). To further increase the electrical conductivity of the interface, the ionic liquid 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium alanine with its high ion conductivity was placed on the electrode surface. Then, the aptamer was immobilized on the modified electrode and conjugated to signalling c-DNA tagged with AgNPs (c-DNA@AgNPs). In the presence of the MCF7 target cells, the signalling probe is displaced and released from the electrode surface. This leads to a decrease in the current that is proportional to the concentration of cancer cells in the range from 10 to 10⁶ cells mL^?1, with a detection limit as low as 8?±?2 cells mL^?1 (n?=?3) (based as 3σ/m, where σ is the standard deviation of the blank and m is the slope of the calibration plot). This method presents a promising tool for highly sensitive and selective detection of surface nucleolin on MCF7 cancer cells.

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Graphical abstract HApNR-AuNP-AS1411 aptamer nanocomposite as an electrochemical sensing interface was immobilized on the gold electrode surface and conjugated to signaling c-DNA tagged with AgNPs for determination of surface nucleolin on MCF7 cancer cells.

     

Spectroscopic and electrochemical study of Rose Bengal in aqueous solutions of cyclodextrins

The interaction of Rose Bengal (RB) in aqueous solution of LiClO4 0.1 M with alpha-cyclodextrin (alpha-CD), hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrins (HP-beta-CD) and hydroxypropyl-gamma-cyclodextrins (HP-gamma-CD) were studied by spectrophotometric measurements. The presence of Induced Circular Signals and the results of the analysis of the modifications in the absorbance spectra of RB produced by the presence of CDs in solution indicate that RB forms inclusion complexes only with HP-beta-CD and with HP-gamma-CD.     

Effect of Chitosan and Amphiphilic Polymers on the Photosensitizing and Spectral Properties of Rose Bengal

The influence of chitosan (CS) and amphiphilic polymers (AP: pluronic F108 and polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP)) on the photocatalytic activity of rose bengal (RB) in a model reaction of tryptophan photo-oxidation in phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) was studied. It was shown that in the presence of CS, the effective rate constant k_eff of tryptophan photo-oxidation catalyzed by RB in PBS solution decreases by a factor of two. This is due to the ionic interaction of the RB with the chitosan. Rose bengal in a slightly acidic environment (pH 4.5) passes into a neutral lactone form, which sharply reduces the photosensitizing properties of the dye. It was demonstrated that the introduction of AP into a solution containing RB and CS prevents direct interaction between RB and CS. This is evidenced by the presence of photocatalytic activity of the dye in the RB-AP-CS systems, as well as bathochromic shifts of the main absorption bands of the dye, and an increase in the optical density and luminescence intensity of the RB when AP is introduced into a buffer solution containing RB and chitosan. The presence of RB-CS and RB-AP interaction in aqueous and PBS media is confirmed by the increase in the degree of fluorescence anisotropy (r) of these binary systems. In an aqueous solution, the value of r for the RB-F108-CS system decreases by a factor of 3.5 (compared to the value of r for the RB-CS system), which is associated with the localization of the dye in pluronic micelles. In PBS, the fluorescence anisotropy is practically the same for all systems, which is related to the stability of the dye structure in this medium. The presence of interaction between RB and AP in aqueous solutions was confirmed by the proton NMR method. In addition, the formation of RB-F108 macromolecular complexes, which form associates during solution concentration (in particular, during evaporation), was shown by AFM. Such RB-AP-CS systems may be promising for practical application in the treatment of local foci of infections by aPDT.     

Preparation and properties of biocompatible polymer-grafted silica nanoparticle

Grafting of biocompatible polymer onto the surface of silica nanoparticles was achieved by radical graft polymerization of 2-methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine (MPC), initiated by azo groups previously introduced onto the surface or by a system consisting of Mo(CO)₆ and trichloroacetyl groups on the silica surface. Both of these systems have the ability to initiate graft polymerization of MPC, resulting in the formation of poly(MPC)-grafted silica, but the percentage of poly(MPC) grafting for the latter initiating system was much higher than that of the former. The amount of moisture that could be adsorbed onto the silica surface was found to increase with increasing poly(MPC) grafting. This indicates that grafting of poly(MPC) onto the silica surface markedly increases the hydrophilic nature of the surface. The contact angle of water in composites prepared from poly(vinyl alcohol) and poly(MPC)-grafted silica was found to decrease with increasing poly(MPC)-grafted silica content. When poly(MPC)-grafted silica was added to water containing a small amount of chloroform, it was found to act as stabilizer for droplets of chloroform. In addition, according to tests by the Lee-White method, poly(MPC)-grafted silica shows non-thrombogenic characteristics.     

Fluorescent quantification of amino groups on silica nanoparticle surfaces

Functionalization of the surfaces of silica particles is often the first step in their various applications. An improved heterogeneous Fmoc-Cl fluorescent assay using an aqueous solution was developed to detect the number of amino groups on solid-phase supports. The fluorescent Fmoc-Cl method is 50-fold more sensitive than the current UV assay using an organic solvent. This method, together with the homogeneous fluorescamine and OPA assays, is used to detect amino groups on the silica particle surface. The accuracy and effect factors of these methods were examined and the assays were optimized. The results showed that the amine groups on silica particles can produce stronger fluorescence than small amine molecules in solution, because the porous structure of the particle surface is a more hydrophobic environment. The number of active amino groups that can be conjugated with biomolecules is much less than the total number of amino groups on the silica particle. Compared with physical methods, chemical assays involving direct reaction with amino groups would furnish the closest result to the number of active amino groups on the particle surface.     

Characterization of newly established oral cancer cell lines derived from six squamous cell carcinoma and two mucoepidermoid carcinoma cells

Since genetic abnormalities of human cancer are greatly geographically dependent, cultural and environmental backgrounds are thought to be closely related to the carcinogenic process. In the present study, eight human cell lines were established by culture from untreated carcinomas of the oral cancer, of which five were from primary oral squamous cell carcinomas (OSC), one from a mucoepidermoid carcinoma (MEC) and one each originating from metastatic OSC and MEC. All the studied tumor lines grew as monolayers, and showed: i) an epithelial origin by the presence of cytokeratin, and ii) tumorigenic potential in nude mice. Western blot analysis revealed i) over expression of EGFR in six of the cell lines ii) decreased expression of E-cadherin in six cell lines compared to normal human oral mucosa. A mutational analysis showed: point mutations of p53 at exon 7, with transversion, and at exon 8, with transition. These well-characterized human YD cell lines should serve as useful tools in the study of the molecular pathogenesis and biological characteristics of head and neck cancer cells, and in the future testing of new therapeutic reagents for oral cancer.     

Photosensitized Effects of Rose Bengal on Structure and Function of Lens Protein "Alpha-Crystallin"

The conformational changes of the bovine lens protein "α-crystallin" have been investigated in the presence of the photosensitizer Rose Bengal (RB), in the dark as well as after visible light irradiation. Absorption and fluorescence emission spectra of RB [5 × 10⁻⁶  m ] and Fourier transform-IR spectra of α-crystallin [5 mg mL⁻¹] were significantly altered upon RB α-crystallin complex formation. RB was found to bind to α-crystallin in a molecular pocket characterized by a low polarity, with Trp most likely involved in this interaction. The binding constant ( K _b) has been estimated to be of the order of 2.5 (mg/mL)⁻¹. The intrinsic fluorescence of α-crystallin was quenched through both dynamic and static mechanisms. Light-induced photosensitized effects showed structural modifications in α-crystallin, including tertiary and secondary structure (an increase in unordered structure) alterations. Notwithstanding those photoinduced structural variations detected in α-crystallin when complexed with RB, the protein still retains its ability to play the role of chaperone for β-crystallin.     

Modelling the role of dual specificity phosphatases in herceptin resistant breast cancer cell lines

BackgroundBreast cancer remains the most lethal type of cancer for women. A significant proportion of breast cancer cases are characterised by overexpression of the human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 protein (HER2). These cancers are commonly treated by Herceptin (Trastuzumab), but resistance to drug treatment frequently develops in tumour cells. Dual-specificity phosphatases (DUSPs) are thought to play a role in the mechanism of resistance, since some of them were reported to be overexpressed in tumours resistant to Herceptin.ResultsWe used a systems biology approach to investigate how DUSP overexpression could favour cell proliferation and to predict how this mechanism could be reversed by targeted inhibition of selected DUSPs. We measured the expression of 20 DUSP genes in two breast cancer cell lines following long-term (6 months) exposure to Herceptin, after confirming that these cells had become resistant to the drug. We constructed several Boolean models including specific substrates of each DUSP, and showed that our models correctly account for resistance when overexpressed DUSPs were kept activated. We then simulated inhibition of both individual and combinations of DUSPs, and determined conditions under which the resistance could be reversed.ConclusionsThese results show how a combination of experimental analysis and modelling help to understand cell survival mechanisms in breast cancer tumours, and crucially enable us to generate testable predictions potentially leading to new treatments of resistant tumours.     

Study on the aggregation and electrochemical properties of Rose Bengal in aqueous solution of cyclodextrins

The interactions of Rose Bengal (RB) with alpha-cyclodextrin (alpha-CD), hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin (HP-beta-CD), hydroxypropyl-gamma-cyclodextrin (HP-gamma-CD), heptakis(2,3,6-tri-O-methyll)-beta-cyclodextrin (TM-beta-CD) were studied in aqueous solutions of 0.1 M KClO(4) and 0.1 M LiClO(4) by vis absorption, fluorescence spectroscopy as well as electrochemical measurements at 298 K. The spectrophometric results indicate that RB is included in all beta- and gamma-CDs forming complexes with a stoichiometry 1:1 whose stability is slightly higher in KClO(4) than in LiClO(4) solutions. The complex stability constants determined for salt-containing CD solutions are lower than those for water solutions. The complexation of RB with beta- and gamma-CD and the differences between the complexes obtained in the presence of the two salts were confirmed by an electrochemical study.     

Solvatochromic behavior on the absorption and fluorescence spectra of Rose Bengal dye in various solvents

The absorption and fluorescence spectra of Rose Bengal dye were studied in various solvents. It was found that solvent effects on the absorption wavelength are consistent with the solvatochromic model of Kamlet, Abboud and Taft. The solvent polarizability value pi* was found to have a linear relationship with the absorption wavelength of the dye in various solvents. Additionally, the normalized transition energy value (E(T)(N)) showed some scattering when plotted versus Deltanu(af). Density functional calculations were used to assign the absorption in the region 540-570 nm to a pi-pi* transition between the HOMO and LUMO of the anion. Experimental ground state and excited state dipole moments were calculated by using the solvatochromatic shifts of absorption and fluorescence spectra as a function of the dielectric constant (epsilon) and refractive index (n). The dipole moment for Rose Bengal was found to be 1.72 Debye in the ground state, whereas this value was 2.33 Debye in the excited state.     

Photodynamic characterization and in vitro application of methylene blue-containing nanoparticle platforms

This article presents the development and characterization of nanoparticles loaded with methylene blue (MB), which are designed to be administered to tumor cells externally and deliver singlet oxygen (1O2) for photodynamic therapy (PDT), i.e. cell kill via oxidative stress to the membrane. We demonstrated the encapsulation of MB, a photosensitizer (PS), in three types of sub-200 nm nanoparticles, composed of polyacrylamide, sol-gel silica and organically modified silicate (ORMOSIL), respectively. Induced by light irradiation, the entrapped MB generated 1O2, and the produced 1O2 was measured quantitatively with anthracene-9,10-dipropionic acid, disodium salt, to compare the effects of different matrices on 1O2 delivery. Among these three different kinds of nanoparticles, the polyacrylamide nanoparticles showed the most efficient delivery of 1O2, but its loading of MB was low. In contrast, the sol-gel nanoparticles had the best MB loading but the least efficient 1O2 delivery. In addition to investigating the matrix effects, a preliminary in vitro PDT study using the MB-loaded polyacrylamide nanoparticles was conducted on rat C6 glioma tumor cells with positive photodynamic results. The encapsulation of MB in nanoparticles should diminish the interaction of this PS with the biological milieu, thus facilitating its systemic administration. Furthermore, the concept of the drug-delivering nanoparticles has been extended to a new type of dynamic nanoplatform (DNP) that only delivers 1O2. This DNP could also be used as a targeted multifunctional platform for combined diagnostics and therapy of cancer.     

Systematic study of parameters influencing the action of Rose Bengal with visible light on bacterial cells: comparison between the biological effect and singlet-oxygen production

As part of a project to study different methods for the disinfection of effluent water, the inactivation of different microorganisms (Escherichia coli, Deinococcus radiodurans and spores of Bacillus subtilis) using a combination of a photosensitizer (Rose Bengal) with simulated sunlight and oxygen was determined under various environmental conditions (temperature, pH index). In parallel, the singlet-oxygen (1O2) production was also measured under the same conditions. Whereas the vegetative cells could be inactivated much more efficiently at increased temperature and altered index of pH, the production of 1O2 remained essentially the same under these alterations. Additionally, the relations among the sensitivities of different cell types to be killed by our photodynamic treatments (PDT) were opposite to those found after exposure to ionizing radiation. The results of photodynamic experiments do not reflect the cells' capacity to repair DNA strand breaks. Spores of B. subtilis, as a nonvegetative system, could not be inactivated by illuminations up to 100 J cm-2. Together, these findings indicate that DNA is not the primary target, the inactivation of which leads to the killing of our test organisms. Instead, the cellular envelope appears to be the component being assaulted by our PDT.