title: G-quadruplex DNA/protoporphyrin IX-based synergistic platform for targeted photodynamic cancer therapy.
abstract: Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is an emerging technique to induce cancer cell death. However, the tumor specificity, cellular uptake and biodistribution of many photosensitizers urgently need to be improved. In this regard, we show here that the integrated nanoassemblies based on G-quadruplex DNAs (GQDs)/protoporphyrin IX (PPIX) can serve as a synergistic platform for targeted high-performance PDT. In the nanoassemblies, GQDs function as carriers of sensitiser PPIX and confers the system cancer cell targeting ability. After nucleolin-mediated efficient binding and cellular uptake of GQDs/PPIX assemblies, the strong red fluorescence of GQDs/PPIX complex provides a powerful tool for biological imaging. Moreover, the reactive oxygen species (ROS) generated by GQDs/PPIX under light illumination can effectively kill cancer cells. The present approach is simply composed by DNA and photosensitizers, thereby avoiding any complicated and time-consuming covalent modification or chemical labeling procedure.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Electroanalytical Chemistry, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun, Jilin 130022, People's Republic of China Graduate School of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100039, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Zhixue
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Electroanalytical Chemistry, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun, Jilin 130022, People's Republic of China Graduate School of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100039, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Dan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Electroanalytical Chemistry, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun, Jilin 130022, People's Republic of China Graduate School of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100039, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Libing
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Electroanalytical Chemistry, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun, Jilin 130022, People's Republic of China Graduate School of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100039, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Erkang
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Electroanalytical Chemistry, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun, Jilin 130022, People's Republic of China Graduate School of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100039, People's Republic of China. Electronic address: dongsj@ciac.ac.cn.
authors.forename: Shaojun
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dong
mesh_terms: D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000528:radiation effects; D004247:DNA / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D054856:G-Quadruplexes; D015870:Gene Expression; D057809:HEK293 Cells; D006367:HeLa Cells; D006801:Humans; D008027:Light; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D010750:Phosphoproteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D010778:Photochemotherapy; D017319:Photosensitizing Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011485:Protein Binding; D011524:Protoporphyrins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000819:agonists / Q000378:metabolism; D000097796:Nucleolin
chemical_list: D004247:DNA; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D010750:Phosphoproteins; D017319:Photosensitizing Agents; D011524:Protoporphyrins; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; D000097796:Nucleolin; C028025:protoporphyrin IX
keywords: Cancer; G-quadruplex; Nuclease; Photodynamic therapy; Protoporphyrin IX