Version 2 2021-12-07, 13:36Version 2 2021-12-07, 13:36
Version 1 2021-11-29, 18:38Version 1 2021-11-29, 18:38
journal contribution
posted on 2021-12-07, 13:36authored byCarla I. M. Santos, Laura Rodríguez-Pérez, Gil Gonçalves, Cristina J. Dias, Fátima Monteiro, Maria do Amparo F. Faustino, Sandra I. Vieira, Luisa A. Helguero, María Ángeles Herranz, Nazario Martín, M. Graça P. M. S. Neves, José M.
G. Martinho, Ermelinda M. S. Maçôas
Porphyrins
are promising materials for photodynamic therapy, but
their low solubility and aggregation in biological environments are
still obstacles to surpass. In order to overcome these limitations,
the conjugation of porphyrins with graphene quantum dots (GQDs), here
functioning as a vehicle to improve the internalization of porphyrins
by cancer cells, was considered. The GQDs were conjugated with an
aminoporphyrin via amide linkage using both thionyl chloride (SOCl2) and 1-ethyl-3-(3′-dimethylaminopropyl)carbodiimide
coupling methodologies. Based on structural characterization (Fourier
transform infrared and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy), the best
porphyrin loading was observed with the SOCl2 procedure.
The new hybrids were investigated as phototherapeutic agents in high
incidence breast cancer (T-47D cell line) under white light, and a
significant photocytotoxic effect was observed at 10 nM. The conjugation
of GQDs to the aminoporphyrin promoted an efficient uptake by the
T-47D cells when compared with the nonimmobilized porphyrin. These
results point out the high potential of the new hybrids to be explored
as theragnostic agents.