Molecularly engineering a dual-drug nanoassembly for self-sensitized photodynamic therapy via thioredoxin impairment and glutathione depletion.

ABSTRACT: Photodynamic therapy (PDT) has been extensively investigated as a spatiotemporally noninvasive and controllable modality for cancer treatment. However, the intracellular antioxidant systems mainly consisting of thioredoxin (Trx) and glutathione (GSH) significantly counteract and prevent reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation, resulting in a serious loss of PDT efficiency. To address this challenge, we propose that PDT can be improved by precisely blocking antioxidant systems. After molecular engineering and synergistic cytotoxic optimization, a DSPE-PEG_2K-modified dual-drug nanoassembly (PPa@GA/DSPE-PEG_2K NPs) of pyropheophorbide a (PPa) and gambogic acid (GA) is successfully constructed. Interestingly, GA can effectively destroy intracellular antioxidant systems

SUBMITTER: Zhang H 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9662020 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature