title: Near-infrared light triggered photodynamic therapy in combination with gene therapy using upconversion nanoparticles for effective cancer cell killing.
abstract: Upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) have drawn much attention in cancer imaging and therapy in recent years. Herein, we for the first time report the use of UCNPs with carefully engineered surface chemistry for combined photodynamic therapy (PDT) and gene therapy of cancer. In our system, positively charged NaGdF4:Yb,Er UCNPs with multilayered polymer coatings are synthesized via a layer by layer strategy, and then loaded simultaneously with Chlorin e6 (Ce6), a photosensitizing molecule, and small interfering RNA (siRNA), which targets the Plk1 oncogene. On the one hand, under excitation by a near-infrared (NIR) light at 980 nm, which shows greatly improved tissue penetration compared with visible light, cytotoxic singlet oxygen can be generated via resonance energy transfer from UCNPs to photosensitizer Ce6, while the residual upconversion luminescence is utilized for imaging. On the other hand, the silencing of Plk1 induced by siRNA delivered with UCNPs could induce significant cancer cell apoptosis. As the result of such combined photodynamic and gene therapy, a remarkably enhanced cancer cell killing effect is realized. Our work thus highlights the promise of UCNPs for imaging guided combination therapy of cancer.
authors: Department of Radiology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215006, China. liyonggang224@163.com ilguoliang@sohu.com.
authors: Xin
authors: X
authors: Wang
authors: Kai
authors: K
authors: Liu
authors: Guangbao
authors: G
authors: Yang
authors: Liang
authors: L
authors: Cheng
authors: Lu
authors: L
authors: He
authors: Yumeng
authors: Y
authors: Liu
authors: Yonggang
authors: Y
authors: Li
authors: Liang
authors: L
authors: Guo
authors: Zhuang
authors: Z
authors: Liu
mesh_terms: D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002735:Chlorophyllides; D015316:Genetic Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D006367:HeLa Cells; D006801:Humans; D007259:Infrared Rays; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D046529:Microscopy, Electron, Transmission; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry; D036103:Nanotechnology / Q000379:methods; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000628:therapy*; D009857:Oncogenes; D010100:Oxygen / Q000737:chemistry; D010778:Photochemotherapy / Q000379:methods*; D017319:Photosensitizing Agents / Q000737:chemistry; D011108:Polymers / Q000737:chemistry; D011166:Porphyrins / Q000737:chemistry; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering / Q000378:metabolism; D013499:Surface Properties
chemical_list: D002735:Chlorophyllides; D017319:Photosensitizing Agents; D011108:Polymers; D011166:Porphyrins; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering; C062985:phytochlorin; D010100:Oxygen