title: Cationic fullerenes are effective and selective antimicrobial photosensitizers.
abstract: Fullerenes are soccer ball-shaped molecules composed of carbon atoms, and, when derivatized with functional groups, they become soluble and can act as photosensitizers. Antimicrobial photodynamic therapy combines a nontoxic photosensitizer with harmless visible light to generate reactive oxygen species that kill microbial cells. We have compared the antimicrobial activity of six functionalized C(60) compounds with one, two, or three hydrophilic or cationic groups in combination with white light against gram-positive bacteria, gram-negative bacteria, and fungi. After a 10 min incubation, the bis- and tris-cationic fullerenes were highly active in killing all tested microbes (4-6 logs) under conditions in which mammalian cells were comparatively unharmed. These compounds performed significantly better than a widely used antimicrobial photosensitizer, toluidine blue O. The high selectivity and efficacy exhibited by these photosensitizers encourage further testing for antimicrobial applications.
authors.affiliation: Wellman Center for Photomedicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, 02114, USA.
authors.forename: George P
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Tegos
authors.forename: Tatiana N
authors.initials: TN
authors.lastname: Demidova
authors.forename: Dennisse
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Arcila-Lopez
authors.forename: Haeryeon
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Tim
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Wharton
authors.forename: Hariprasad
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Gali
authors.forename: Michael R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Hamblin
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000138:chemical synthesis* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002412:Cations / Q000737:chemistry / Q000627:therapeutic use; D037741:Fullerenes / Q000737:chemistry / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D017319:Photosensitizing Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014048:Tolonium Chloride / Q000737:chemistry / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D000890:Anti-Infective Agents; D002412:Cations; D037741:Fullerenes; D017319:Photosensitizing Agents; D014048:Tolonium Chloride; C069837:fullerene C60