Development of chlorin e6-conjugated poly(ethylene glycol)-poly(d,l-lactide) nanoparticles for photodynamic therapy

Abstract

Aim: In this study, we developed a chlorin e6-conjugated methoxy-poly(ethylene glycol)-poly(d,l-lactide) (mPEG-PLA-Ce6) amphiphilic polymer, which self-assembled to form stable nanoparticles. Materials & methods: The nanoparticles were characterized for particle size, ζ-potential and singlet oxygen (1O2) generation. Cellular internalization and phototoxicity were investigated against monolayer and 3D spheroids of human lung adenocarcinoma cells (A549). Results & conclusion: mPEG-PLA-Ce6 exhibited a size of 149.72 ± 3.51 nm and ζ-potential of -24.82 ± 2.94 mV. The 1O2 generation by mPEG-PLA-Ce6 in water was considerably higher than free chlorin e6. The nanoparticles showed enhanced cellular internalization and phototoxicity in monolayer and 3D spheroids. The developed mPEG-PLA-Ce6 has potential application as a nanocarrier of chlorin e6 for photodynamic therapy of solid tumors.