Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 9, 2026
Photodynamic Therapy with Blended Conducting Polymer/Fullerene Nanoparticle Photosensitizers
Published on: October 28, 2015
LED-activated methylene blue-loaded Pluronic-nanogold hybrids for in vitro photodynamic therapy
Timea Simon1, Sanda Boca-Farcau, Ana-Maria Gabudean
1Babes-Bolyai University, Faculty of Physics and Interdisciplinary Research Institute in Bio-Nano-Sciences, Nanobiophotonics and Laser Microspectroscopy Center, M. Kogalniceanu Str. 1, 400084, Cluj-Napoca, Romania; Laboratoire Interdisciplinaire de Physique, UMR 5588, CNRS, Universite Joseph Fourier and CNRS, 140 rue de la Physique, 87 38402, Saint Martin d'Heres cedex, France.
Abstract:
In this work we introduce a new class of multifunctional photodynamic agents based on the coupling of photosensitizer molecules with noble metal nanoparticles, which can be efficiently activated under low light intensity. The favourable modification of the photophysical properties of methylene blue (MB) in MB-loaded Pluronic-nanogold hybrids (Au-PF127-MB) increases the probability of singlet oxygen generation, which in turn allows the use of a light emitting diode (LED) irradiation source instead of commonly used, more invasive lasers. In this regard, Au-PF127-MB treated human lung carcinoma cells (HTB 177) were irradiated at different light doses, using a 660 nm LED source, the results indicating a dose dependent therapeutic effect, decreasing the cell viability down to 13%. Owing to their effectiveness, biocompatibility and integrated imaging and therapeutic functionalities, Au-PF127-MB could represent an important development in the field of biophotonic applications.
