Advances in Targeted Photodynamic Therapy Based on Nanotechnology

A special issue of Pharmaceutics (ISSN 1999-4923). This special issue belongs to the section "Nanomedicine and Nanotechnology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 August 2024) | Viewed by 4992

Special Issue Editors


E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Center for Light-Based Research and Technologies COHERENCE, Department of Atomic Physics, Vinča Institute of Nuclear Sciences, National Institute of the Republic of Serbia, University of Belgrade, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
Interests: photodynamic therapy; targeted delivery; nanoparticles; controlled release; nanotheranostics; photosensitizers; PDT light sources
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Center for Light-Based Research and Technologies Coherence, Department of Atomic Physics, Vinča Institute of Nuclear Sciences, National Institute of the Republic of Serbia, University of Belgrade, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
Interests: photodynamic therapy; anticancer metallodrugs; nanocarriers; targeted drug delivery; biomolecular drug targets

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a noncumulative, noninvasive, and selective therapeutic modality exploited in treating various types of cancer, infections, inflammation, or wound healing. PDT relays on either focal or systemic application of photosensitizers (PSs) accumulated in pathological tissues and illumination in the form of X-rays, ultraviolet, visible, or infrared light. PS molecules absorb the irradiation of the appropriate wavelength, initiating a series of reactions leading to the selective destruction of the pathological cells by reactive oxygen species-mediated killing, blood vessel damage, and activation of the immune response. However, broad clinical applications of PDT are still hindered due to low cell/tissue selectivity and meager water solubility of PSs, limited light penetration depth, effortless recognition by the immune system, swift clearance from blood circulation, and other factors.

The seemingly unstoppable development of nanotechnology led to unparalleled, innovative, nanoparticle-based solutions that profoundly improve targeting and camouflage capability, solubility, biocompatibility, penetrability, light conversion efficiency, and PS circulation time. Original research articles, brief reports, and communications offering novel ideas and nano tricks on bypassing biological barriers, reducing dosage and side effects, improving real-time monitoring of drug release and distribution, and maximizing PDT efficiency are welcomed. In addition, opinions and reviews dealing with nanotechnology-driven progress in targeted PDT are also eligible for submission to this Special Issue which hopefully will contribute to global efforts towards the inauguration of fully personalized therapies.

We look forward to receiving your exciting and inspiring contributions.

Prof. Dr. Milutin Stepić
Dr. Maja D. Nešić
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Pharmaceutics is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • photodynamic therapy
  • targeted delivery
  • nanoparticles
  • controlled release
  • nanotheranostics
  • photosensitizers
  • PDT light sources

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (2 papers)

Order results
Result details
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

19 pages, 5260 KiB  
Article
Nano-Liposomal Beetroot Phyto-Pigment in Photodynamic Therapy as a Prospective Green Approach for Cancer Management: In Vitro Evaluation and Molecular Dynamic Simulation
by Doaa Abdel Fadeel, Maha Fadel, Abdullah Ibrahim El-Kholy, Ahmed A. El-Rashedy, Engy Mohsen, Marwa I. Ezzat and Marwa Y. Issa
Pharmaceutics 2024, 16(8), 1038; https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics16081038 - 3 Aug 2024
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1886
Abstract
Using plant extracts as photosensitizers in photodynamic therapy (PDT) represents a significant green approach toward sustainability. This study investigates beetroot juice (BRJ), betanin, and their liposomal formulations (Lip-BRJ, Lip-Bet) as photosensitizers in cancer PDT. BRJ was prepared, and its betanin content was quantified [...] Read more.
Using plant extracts as photosensitizers in photodynamic therapy (PDT) represents a significant green approach toward sustainability. This study investigates beetroot juice (BRJ), betanin, and their liposomal formulations (Lip-BRJ, Lip-Bet) as photosensitizers in cancer PDT. BRJ was prepared, and its betanin content was quantified via HPLC. The p-nitrosodimethylaniline (RNO)/imidazole technique monitored the singlet oxygen formation. BRJ and betanin decreased the RNO absorbance at 440 nm by 12% and 9% after 45 min of irradiation, respectively. Furthermore, betanin interaction with Bcl-2 proteins was examined using binding free energy analysis and molecular dynamic simulation. The results revealed favorable interactions with ΔG values of −40.94 kcal/mol. Then, BRJ, betanin, Lip-BRJ, and Lip-Bet were tested as photosensitizers on normal (HEK 293) and human lung cancer (A549) cell lines. Irradiation significantly enhanced the cytotoxicity of Lip-Bet on HEK 293 cells (20% cell viability at 2000 µg/mL) and A549 cells (13% cell viability at 1000 µg/mL). For Lip-BRJ, irradiation significantly enhanced the cytotoxicity on HEK 293 cells at lower concentrations and on A549 cells at all tested concentrations. These results proved the positive effect of light and liposomal encapsulation on the anticancer activity of betanin and BRJ, suggesting the efficiency of liposomal beetroot pigments as green photosensitizers. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Targeted Photodynamic Therapy Based on Nanotechnology)
Show Figures

Figure 1

20 pages, 7283 KiB  
Article
Synergistic Enhancement of Targeted Wound Healing by Near-Infrared Photodynamic Therapy and Silver Metal–Organic Frameworks Combined with S- or N-Doped Carbon Dots
by Maja D. Nešić, Iva A. Popović, Jelena Žakula, Lela Korićanac, Jelena Filipović Tričković, Ana Valenta Šobot, Maria Victoria Jiménez, Manuel Algarra, Tanja Dučić and Milutin Stepić
Pharmaceutics 2024, 16(5), 671; https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics16050671 - 16 May 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2255
Abstract
The literature data emphasize that nanoparticles might improve the beneficial effects of near-infrared light (NIR) on wound healing. This study investigates the mechanisms of the synergistic wound healing potential of NIR light and silver metal–organic frameworks combined with nitrogen- and sulfur-doped carbon dots [...] Read more.
The literature data emphasize that nanoparticles might improve the beneficial effects of near-infrared light (NIR) on wound healing. This study investigates the mechanisms of the synergistic wound healing potential of NIR light and silver metal–organic frameworks combined with nitrogen- and sulfur-doped carbon dots (AgMOFsN-CDs and AgMOFsS-CDs, respectively), which was conducted by testing the fibroblasts viability, scratch assays, biochemical analysis, and synchrotron-based Fourier transform infrared (SR-FTIR) cell spectroscopy and imaging. Our findings reveal that the combined treatment of AgMOFsN-CDs and NIR light significantly increases cell viability to nearly 150% and promotes cell proliferation, with reduced interleukin-1 levels, suggesting an anti-inflammatory response. SR-FTIR spectroscopy shows this combined treatment results in unique protein alterations, including increased α-helix structures and reduced cross-β. Additionally, protein synthesis was enhanced upon the combined treatment. The likely mechanism behind the observed changes is the charge-specific interaction of N-CDs from the AgMOFsN-CDs with proteins, enhanced by NIR light due to the nanocomposite’s optical characteristics. Remarkably, the complete wound closure in the in vitro scratch assay was achieved exclusively with the combined NIR and AgMOFsN-CDs treatment, demonstrating the promising application of combined AgMOFsN-CDs with NIR light photodynamic therapy in regenerative nanomedicine and tissue engineering. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Targeted Photodynamic Therapy Based on Nanotechnology)
Show Figures

Figure 1

Back to TopTop