Brain endothelial cell-derived extracellular vesicles with a mitochondria-targeting photosensitizer effectively treat glioblastoma by hijacking the blood‒brain barrier.

ABSTRACT: Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most aggressive malignant brain tumor and has a high mortality rate. Photodynamic therapy (PDT) has emerged as a promising approach for the treatment of malignant brain tumors. However, the use of PDT for the treatment of GBM has been limited by its low blood‒brain barrier (BBB) permeability and lack of cancer-targeting ability. Herein, brain endothelial cell-derived extracellular vesicles (bEVs) were used as a biocompatible nanoplatform to transport photosensitizers into brain tumors across the BBB. To enhance PDT efficacy, the photosensitizer chlorin e6 (Ce6) was linked to mitochondria-targeting triphenylphosphonium (TPP) and entrapped into bEVs. TPP-conjugated Ce6 (TPP-Ce6) selectively accumulated in the mitochondria, which rendered brain tumor cells more susce

SUBMITTER: Nguyen Cao TG 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10502277 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature