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Article

Sequential Photodynamic Therapy with Phthalocyanine Encapsulated Chitosan-Tripolyphosphate Nanoparticles and Flucytosine Treatment against Candida tropicalis

1
Department of Clinical Pathology, Dalin Tzu Chi Hospital, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, Chia-Yi 62247, Taiwan
2
Department of Biomedical Sciences, National Chung Cheng University, Min-Hsiung Chia-Yi 62102, Taiwan
3
Center for Innovative Research on Aging Society (CIRAS), National Chung Cheng University, Min-Hsiung Chia-Yi 62102, Taiwan
4
Center for Nano Bio-detections, Advanced Institute of Manufacturing with High-tech Innovations (AIM-HI), National Chung Cheng University, Min-Hsiung Chia-Yi 62102, Taiwan
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Pharmaceutics 2019, 11(1), 16; https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics11010016
Received: 14 November 2018 / Revised: 19 December 2018 / Accepted: 27 December 2018 / Published: 4 January 2019
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Chitosan Biomedical Applications: Opportunities and Challenges)
Antibiotic resistance has become a crisis. Candida tropicalis (C. tropicalis) is one of the most highly virulent and drug-resistant pathogens. An alternative antimicrobial therapy to eradicate C. tropicalis effectively, without the risk of developing drug-resistance, is needed. Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is an alternative therapy that does not carry the risk of undesired drug resistance. To target the pathogens and to enhance the cellular penetration of the applied photosensitizer, we fabricated cationic chitosan/tripolyphosphate nanoparticles to encapsulate phthalocyanine. Our strategy promotes the uptake of phthalocyanine four-fold. This enhanced PDT can effectively inhibit planktonic C. tropicalis, such that only ~20% of C. tropicalis in the test survived; but it has a limited ability to inhibit adherent C. tropicalis. Further tests with adherent C. tropicalis indicated that sequential treatment with PDT and flucytosine significantly eliminates pseudohyphae and yeast-like C. tropicalis cells. The cell viability is only ~10% after this sequential treatment. This study provides evidence of an effective therapy against drug resistant C. tropicalis, and this strategy can be potentially applied to other pathogens. View Full-Text
Keywords: photodynamic therapy; Candida tropicalis; chitosan; phthalocianine; flucytosine photodynamic therapy; Candida tropicalis; chitosan; phthalocianine; flucytosine
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MDPI and ACS Style

Hsieh, Y.-H.; Chuang, W.-C.; Yu, K.-H.; Jheng, C.-P.; Lee, C.-I. Sequential Photodynamic Therapy with Phthalocyanine Encapsulated Chitosan-Tripolyphosphate Nanoparticles and Flucytosine Treatment against Candida tropicalis. Pharmaceutics 2019, 11, 16. https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics11010016

AMA Style

Hsieh Y-H, Chuang W-C, Yu K-H, Jheng C-P, Lee C-I. Sequential Photodynamic Therapy with Phthalocyanine Encapsulated Chitosan-Tripolyphosphate Nanoparticles and Flucytosine Treatment against Candida tropicalis. Pharmaceutics. 2019; 11(1):16. https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics11010016

Chicago/Turabian Style

Hsieh, Yi-Hsuan, Wen-Ching Chuang, Kun-Hua Yu, Cheng-Ping Jheng, and Cheng-I Lee. 2019. "Sequential Photodynamic Therapy with Phthalocyanine Encapsulated Chitosan-Tripolyphosphate Nanoparticles and Flucytosine Treatment against Candida tropicalis" Pharmaceutics 11, no. 1: 16. https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics11010016

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