A Nanoencapsulated Ir(III)-Phthalocyanine Conjugate as a Promising Photodynamic Therapy Anticancer Agent

Despite the potential of photodynamic therapy (PDT) in cancer treatment, the development of efficient and photostable photosensitizing molecules that operate at long wavelengths of light has become a major hurdle. Here, we report for the first time an Ir(III)-phthalocyanine conjugate (Ir-ZnPc) as a novel photosensitizer for high-efficiency synergistic PDT treatment that takes advantage of the long-wavelength excitation and near infrared (NIR) emission of the phthalocyanine scaffold and the known photostability and high phototoxicity of cyclometalated Ir(III) complexes. In order to increase water solubility and cell membrane permeability, the conjugate and parent zinc phthalocyanine (ZnPc) were encapsulated in amphoteric redox-responsive polyurethane-polyurea hybrid nanocapsules (Ir-ZnPc-NCs and ZnPc-NCs, respectively). Photobiological evaluations revealed that the encapsulated Ir-ZnPc conjugate achieved high photocytotoxicity in both normoxic and hypoxic conditions under 630 nm light irradiation, which can be attributed to dual Type I and Type II reactive oxygen species (ROS) photogeneration. Interestingly, PDT treatments with Ir-ZnPc-NCs and ZnPc-NCs significantly inhibited the growth of three-dimensional (3D) multicellular tumor spheroids. Overall, the nanoencapsulation of Zn phthalocyanines conjugated to cyclometalated Ir(III) complexes provides a new strategy for obtaining photostable and biocompatible red-light-activated nano-PDT agents with efficient performance under challenging hypoxic environments, thus offering new therapeutic opportunities for cancer treatment.