title: Near infrared light-mediated photoactivation of cytotoxic Re(i) complexes by using lanthanide-doped upconversion nanoparticles.
abstract: Platinum-based chemotherapy, although it has been well proven to be effective in the battle against cancer, suffers from limited specificity, severe side effects and drug resistance. The development of new alternatives with potent anticancer effects and improved specificity is therefore urgently needed. Recently, there are some new chemotherapy reagents based on photoactive Re(i) complexes which have been reported as promising alternatives to improve specificity mainly attributed to the spatial and temporal activation process by light irradiation. However, most of them respond to short-wavelength light (e.g. UV, blue or green light), which may cause unwanted photo damage to cells. Herein, we demonstrate a system for near-infrared (NIR) light controlled activation of Re(i) complex cytotoxicity by integration of photoactivatable Re(i) complexes and lanthanide-doped upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs). Upon NIR irradiation at 980 nm, the Re(i) complex can be locally activated by upconverted UV light emitted from UCNPs and subsequently leads to enhanced cell lethality. Cytotoxicity studies showed effective inactivation of both drug susceptible human ovarian carcinoma A2780 cells and cisplatin resistant subline A2780cis cells by our UCNP based system with NIR irradiation, and there was minimum light toxicity observed in the whole process, suggesting that such a system could provide a promising strategy to control localized activation of Re(i) complexes and therefore minimize potential side effects.
authors.affiliation: Division of Chemistry and Biological Chemistry, School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 637371 Singapore.
authors.forename: Ming
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.affiliation: MOE Key Laboratory of Bioinorganic and Synthetic Chemistry, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, P. R. China. cesmzw@mail.sysu.edu.cn caoqian3@mail.sysu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Jixian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: Division of Chemistry and Biological Chemistry, School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 637371 Singapore.
authors.forename: Xiangzhao
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Ai
authors.affiliation: Division of Chemistry and Biological Chemistry, School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 637371 Singapore.
authors.forename: Maja
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Budanovic
authors.affiliation: Division of Chemistry and Biological Chemistry, School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 637371 Singapore.
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mu
authors.affiliation: Division of Chemistry and Biological Chemistry, School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 637371 Singapore.
authors.forename: Richard D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Webster
authors.affiliation: MOE Key Laboratory of Bioinorganic and Synthetic Chemistry, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, P. R. China. cesmzw@mail.sysu.edu.cn caoqian3@mail.sysu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Qian
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Cao
authors.affiliation: MOE Key Laboratory of Bioinorganic and Synthetic Chemistry, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, P. R. China. cesmzw@mail.sysu.edu.cn caoqian3@mail.sysu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Zongwan
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Mao
authors.affiliation: Division of Chemistry and Biological Chemistry, School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 637371 Singapore and Institute of Materials Research and Engineering (IMRE); Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR); Singapore, 117602 Singapore. bengang@ntu.edu.sg.
authors.forename: Bengang
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Xing
mesh_terms: D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects / Q000528:radiation effects; D048271:Chitosan / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000737:chemistry / Q000528:radiation effects; D056831:Coordination Complexes / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000737:chemistry / Q000528:radiation effects; D005459:Fluorides / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000737:chemistry / Q000528:radiation effects; D006801:Humans; D008027:Light; D053768:Metal Nanoparticles / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000737:chemistry / Q000528:radiation effects; D012211:Rhenium / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000737:chemistry / Q000528:radiation effects; D013932:Thulium / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000737:chemistry / Q000528:radiation effects; D015018:Ytterbium / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000737:chemistry / Q000528:radiation effects; D015019:Yttrium / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000737:chemistry / Q000528:radiation effects
chemical_list: D056831:Coordination Complexes; C525362:sodium yttriumtetrafluoride; D015019:Yttrium; D012211:Rhenium; D013932:Thulium; D048271:Chitosan; D015018:Ytterbium; D005459:Fluorides