Anionic Star-Like Copolymers Based Nanosystems with Gold Nanoparticles and Temoporfin for Photodynamic Therapy of Carcinoma Cell Lines in vitro
5 affiliations
- 1Faculty of Chemistry, Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Kyiv, Ukraine
- 2State Institution “O.S. Kolomiychenko Institute of Otolaryngology of National Academy of Medical Science of Ukraine”, Kyiv, Ukraine
- 3Educational and Scientific Center “Institute of Biology and Medicine”, Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Kyiv, Ukraine
- 4Faculty of Physics, Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Kyiv, Ukraine
- 5Novations LLC, Kyiv, Ukraine
Abstract
Purpose: Photodynamic therapy (PDT) for carcinomas is an alternative treatment method for this pathology. PDT has a number of advantages, such as targeted therapy, weak side effects and high anticancer efficiency. Polymer branched nanocarriers in a combination with gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) can potentially reduce the side effects of hydrophobic photosensitizers (PS) and improve their pharmacokinetic properties. The aim of the study was to investigate the effect of anionic star-like copolymers of the dextran-graft-(polyacrylamide-co-polyacrylic acid) with a dextran core of 20 kDa and 500 kDa on the combined AuNPs and Temoporfin PDT of squamous cell carcinoma.
Patients and Methods: AuNPs were synthesized in situ in a matrix of dextran-graft-(polyacrylamide-co-polyacrylic acid) hybrid polymers with a dextran core of 20 kDa (D20-PAAan) or 500 kDa (D500-PAAan) with grafted Polyacrylamide (PAA) chains. The size and morphology of nanosystems were characterized by DLS and scanning electron microscopy. Cytotoxicity and phototoxicity studies were performed on the Hep-2, KB and MAEC cell lines in vitro. The cytotoxicity of the individual components of the nanosystems, cell inactivation under PDT conditions following irradiation with 660 nm light (15 J/cm2), intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels, mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm), and overall cytomorphological changes were assessed.
Results: The optimal concentrations of gold (as AuNPs) 4.3 μg/mL, polymer 5.0 μg/mL and Temoporfin 0.625 μg/mL were determined, at which the maximum plasmon enhancement is achieved with the competing effect of Förster resonance energy transfer. The cytotoxicity of D20-PAA (100 µg/mL) was 80%, 65%, and 45% against KB, Hep-2 and MAEC cells respectively. The cytotoxicity of D500-PAA at the same concentration did not exceed 40%. ROS levels were increased 1.8-fold in Hep-2 cells following incubation with the ternary nanosystems and subsequent irradiation, regardless of the carrier polymer. ΔΨm was increased 1.4-fold in Hep-2 cells treated with D20-PAAan/AuNPs/Tem and 2.1-fold in cells treated with D500-PAAan/AuNPs/Tem followed by 660 nm light irradiation. In KB and MAEC cells, these changes were less pronounced.
Conclusion: D20-PAAan based systems showed a stronger influence on cells by briefly changing the intracellular ROS levels and ΔΨm. Nanosystems based on D20-PAAan should be more promising for PDT applications.
Related
- Targeted photodynamic therapy for colorectal cancer using antibody-conjugated green-synthesised nanoparticles.
- Effects of Antimicrobial Photodynamic Therapy Mediated by Free Curcumin and Curcumin-Associated Superparamagnetic Iron Oxide Nanoparticles on Candida spp. and Microcosm Biofilms Associated with Denture Stomatitis
- Cystine-Dependent Redox Metabolism Determines Photodynamic Therapy Response in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma.
- CK20/CK7 double-negative merkel cell carcinoma arising within a previously photodynamic-therapy-treated actinic keratosis field: a case report
- Copper Nanoparticles at Optimized Concentrations Exhibit Minimal Intrinsic Biological Effects in Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cells
BibTeX
@article{virych2026anionic,
title = {{Anionic Star-Like Copolymers Based Nanosystems with Gold Nanoparticles and Temoporfin for Photodynamic Therapy of Carcinoma Cell Lines in vitro}},
author = {Pavlo Virych and Nataliya Kutsevol and Petro Virych and Maria Yeshchenko and Pavlo Khort and Oles Fedotov and Maksym Kremenskoy and Oleg Yeshchenko},
journal = {Nanotechnology, Science and Applications},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.2147/nsa.s650515},
url = {https://doi.org/10.2147/nsa.s650515},
note = {CC BY-NC 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Anionic Star-Like Copolymers Based Nanosystems with Gold Nanoparticles and Temoporfin for Photodynamic Therapy of Carcinoma Cell Lines in vitro
AU - Pavlo Virych
AU - Nataliya Kutsevol
AU - Petro Virych
AU - Maria Yeshchenko
AU - Pavlo Khort
AU - Oles Fedotov
AU - Maksym Kremenskoy
AU - Oleg Yeshchenko
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/30
JO - Nanotechnology, Science and Applications
DO - 10.2147/nsa.s650515
UR - https://doi.org/10.2147/nsa.s650515
AB - Purpose: Photodynamic therapy (PDT) for carcinomas is an alternative treatment method for this pathology. PDT has a number of advantages, such as targeted therapy, weak side effects and high anticancer efficiency. Polymer branched nanocarriers in a combination with gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) can potentially reduce the side effects of hydrophobic photosensitizers (PS) and improve their pharmacokinetic properties. The aim of the study was to investigate the effect of anionic star-like copolymers of the dextran-graft-(polyacrylamide-co-polyacrylic acid) with a dextran core of 20 kDa and 500 kDa on the combined AuNPs and Temoporfin PDT of squamous cell carcinoma. Patients and Methods: AuNPs were synthesized in situ in a matrix of dextran-graft-(polyacrylamide-co-polyacrylic acid) hybrid polymers with a dextran core of 20 kDa (D20-PAAan) or 500 kDa (D500-PAAan) with grafted Polyacrylamide (PAA) chains. The size and morphology of nanosystems were characterized by DLS and scanning electron microscopy. Cytotoxicity and phototoxicity studies were performed on the Hep-2, KB and MAEC cell lines in vitro. The cytotoxicity of the individual components of the nanosystems, cell inactivation under PDT conditions following irradiation with 660 nm light (15 J/cm2), intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels, mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm), and overall cytomorphological changes were assessed. Results: The optimal concentrations of gold (as AuNPs) 4.3 μg/mL, polymer 5.0 μg/mL and Temoporfin 0.625 μg/mL were determined, at which the maximum plasmon enhancement is achieved with the competing effect of Förster resonance energy transfer. The cytotoxicity of D20-PAA (100 µg/mL) was 80%, 65%, and 45% against KB, Hep-2 and MAEC cells respectively. The cytotoxicity of D500-PAA at the same concentration did not exceed 40%. ROS levels were increased 1.8-fold in Hep-2 cells following incubation with the ternary nanosystems and subsequent irradiation, regardless of the carrier polymer. ΔΨm was increased 1.4-fold in Hep-2 cells treated with D20-PAAan/AuNPs/Tem and 2.1-fold in cells treated with D500-PAAan/AuNPs/Tem followed by 660 nm light irradiation. In KB and MAEC cells, these changes were less pronounced. Conclusion: D20-PAAan based systems showed a stronger influence on cells by briefly changing the intracellular ROS levels and ΔΨm. Nanosystems based on D20-PAAan should be more promising for PDT applications.
SN - 1177-8903
ER -