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Achieving Efficient NIR-II Type-I Photosensitizers for Photodynamic/Photothermal Therapy upon Regulating Chalcogen
Kaikai Wen1,2, Hui Tan1, Qian Peng3
1Department of Neurosurgery and Health Science Center, Shenzhen Second People's Hospital, The First Affiliated Hospital, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518035, P. R. China.
Advanced Materials (Deerfield Beach, Fla.)
|December 22, 2021
Summary
New semiconducting polymers utilize the second near-infrared (NIR-II) window for advanced photodynamic/photothermal therapy (PDT/PTT). Tellurium-based polymers (PTTe) show superior performance for treating deep-seated tumors, offering a promising approach for hypoxic cancer treatment.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Biomedical Engineering
- Oncology
Background:
- Second near-infrared (NIR-II) window offers advantages for photodynamic/photothermal therapy (PDT/PTT) in treating deep-seated or complex tumors.
- Type-I photosensitizers are crucial for PDT/PTT, particularly in hypoxic tumor microenvironments.
- Developing efficient NIR-II absorbing materials is essential for advancing cancer therapies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To synthesize and characterize novel chalcogen-element-based donor-acceptor semiconducting polymers for NIR-II type-I PDT/PTT.
- To investigate the effect of chalcogen elements on photophysical properties and PDT/PTT efficacy.
- To evaluate the in vitro and in vivo performance of these polymers for oncotherapy.
Main Methods:
- Synthesis and characterization of three semiconducting polymers: PTS (thiophene), PTSe (selenophene), and PTTe (tellurophene).
- Tuning of intramolecular charge-transfer and heavy-atom effect by adjusting chalcogen elements.
- Evaluation of photodynamic and photothermal conversion efficiencies under NIR-II laser irradiation.
- In vitro and in vivo studies to assess therapeutic efficacy.
Main Results:
- All synthesized polymers demonstrated strong absorption in the NIR-II region.
- PTTe exhibited enhanced intersystem crossing rates and facilitated type-I photodynamic processes.
- PTTe nanoparticles showed superior generation of superoxide anion radicals and higher photothermal conversion efficiency compared to PTS and PTSe.
- Unprecedented NIR-II type-I PDT/PTT performance was observed in vitro and in vivo for PTTe.
Conclusions:
- Chalcogen-element-based semiconducting polymers can be effectively tuned for NIR-II type-I PDT/PTT.
- PTTe demonstrates significant potential as a high-performance photosensitizer for treating hypoxic tumors.
- This study provides a valuable strategy for designing advanced materials for oncotherapy.
Keywords:
chalcogen elementsphotodynamic/photothermal therapysecond near-infrared regionsemiconducting polymerstype-I photosensitizers
