Photodynamic therapy and imaging based on tumor-targeted nanoprobe, polymer-conjugated zinc protoporphyrin

Jun Fang; Long Liao; Hongzhuan Yin; Hideaki Nakamura; Vladimir Subr; Karel Ulbrich; Hiroshi Maeda

doi:10.4155/fso.15.2

Photodynamic therapy and imaging based on tumor-targeted nanoprobe, polymer-conjugated zinc protoporphyrin

Future Sci OA. 2015 Nov 1;1(3):FSO4. doi: 10.4155/fso.15.2. eCollection 2015 Nov.

Authors

Jun Fang¹, Long Liao², Hongzhuan Yin³, Hideaki Nakamura¹, Vladimir Subr⁴, Karel Ulbrich⁴, Hiroshi Maeda²

Affiliations

¹ Research Institute for Drug Delivery Science, Sojo University, Ikeda 4-22-1, Kumamoto 860-0082, Japan; Laboratory of Microbiology & Oncology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Science, Sojo University, Kumamoto, Japan; Research Institute for Drug Delivery Science, Sojo University, Ikeda 4-22-1, Kumamoto 860-0082, Japan; Laboratory of Microbiology & Oncology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Science, Sojo University, Kumamoto, Japan.
² Research Institute for Drug Delivery Science, Sojo University, Ikeda 4-22-1, Kumamoto 860-0082, Japan; Research Institute for Drug Delivery Science, Sojo University, Ikeda 4-22-1, Kumamoto 860-0082, Japan.
³ Research Institute for Drug Delivery Science, Sojo University, Ikeda 4-22-1, Kumamoto 860-0082, Japan; Department of General Surgery, Sheng Jing Hospital, China Medical University, Shenyang City, Liaoning Province, 110004, P. R. China; Research Institute for Drug Delivery Science, Sojo University, Ikeda 4-22-1, Kumamoto 860-0082, Japan; Department of General Surgery, Sheng Jing Hospital, China Medical University, Shenyang City, Liaoning Province, 110004, P. R. China.
⁴ Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Prague, Czech Republic; Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Prague, Czech Republic.

Abstract

Aim: To evaluate the potential of tumor-targeted nanoprobe, N-(2-hydroxypropyl)methacrylamide copolymer-conjugated zinc protoporphyrin (PZP) for photodynamic therapy (PDT) and tumor imaging.

Materials & methods: Different tumor models including carcinogen-induced cancer were used, PZP was intravenously injected followed by irradiation with xenon or blue fluorescent light on tumor.

Results: One PZP 20 mg/kg (ZnPP equivalent) dose with two or three treatments of light at an intensity of ≥20 J/cm² caused necrosis and disappearance of most tumors (>70%) in different tumor models. We also confirmed PZP-based tumor imaging in carcinogen-induced breast tumor and colon cancer models.

Conclusion: These findings support the potential application of PZP as a tumor-selective nanoprobe for PDT as well as tumor imaging, by virtue of the enhanced permeability and retention effect.

Keywords: fluorescent nanoprobe; photodynamic therapy; theranostic nanomedicine; tumor imaging; zinc protoporphyrin.