Heavy-atom-free BODIPY-based photodynamic therapy agents activated at long wavelengths
[EN] Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is an emerging clinical tool that uses light as an agent unleashing cytotoxic activity for treating cancer and other diseases, including those showing drug resistance. One of the main areas of research to fully implement PDT as a real alternative to chemo or radiother...
| Authors: | ; ; ; ; ; ; ; |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Publication date: | 2025 |
| Country: | España |
| Institution: | Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV) |
| Repository: | RiuNet. Repositorio Institucional de la Universitat Politécnica de Valéncia |
| Language: | English |
| OAI Identifier: | oai:riunet.upv.es:10251/230465 |
| Online Access: | https://riunet.upv.es/handle/10251/230465 |
| Access Level: | Open access |
| Keyword: | Photodynamic therapy Photosensitizers Reactive oxygen species BODIPY dimers Near-infrared activation Cancer treatment |
| _version_ | 1878742592567377921 |
|---|---|
| author | Soler-Beatty, Jennifer |
| author2 | Avellanal-Zaballa, Edurne Durán-Sampedro, Gonzalo Agarrabeitia, Antonia R. Bañuelos, Jorge Ortiz, María J. García-Fernández, Alba|||0000-0002-8416-1674 Martínez-Máñez, Ramón|||0000-0001-5873-9674 |
| author2_role | author author author author author author author |
| author_browse | Agarrabeitia, Antonia R. Avellanal-Zaballa, Edurne Bañuelos, Jorge Durán-Sampedro, Gonzalo García-Fernández, Alba|||0000-0002-8416-1674 Martínez-Máñez, Ramón|||0000-0001-5873-9674 Ortiz, María J. Soler-Beatty, Jennifer |
| author_facet | Soler-Beatty, Jennifer Avellanal-Zaballa, Edurne Durán-Sampedro, Gonzalo Agarrabeitia, Antonia R. Bañuelos, Jorge Ortiz, María J. García-Fernández, Alba|||0000-0002-8416-1674 Martínez-Máñez, Ramón|||0000-0001-5873-9674 |
| author_role | author |
| collection | RiuNet. Repositorio Institucional de la Universitat Politécnica de Valéncia |
| description | [EN] Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is an emerging clinical tool that uses light as an agent unleashing cytotoxic activity for treating cancer and other diseases, including those showing drug resistance. One of the main areas of research to fully implement PDT as a real alternative to chemo or radiotherapy is the development of improved photosensitizers (PSs). This work aims to contribute to the design of novel PSs able to generate reactive oxygen species (ROS) upon activation with light within the biological window (deep red or near-infrared region) while being non-toxic under dark conditions (heavy-atom-free). For this, we have chosen BODIPY-based covalent dimers directly linked through their 3-position as model structures. This molecular scaffold has been previously tested as a fluorescent probe to stain cells, but not as a PS for ROS generation under red illumination. Using readily available synthetic protocols, we have changed the steric hindrance around the linkage and added functional groups suited to enhance targetable biorecognition and solubility in physiological media. The spectroscopic characterization confirms that these dimers are photoactivated in a spectral window approaching 700 nm and display noticeable fluorescence signals beyond this wavelength, together with a notable generation of singlet oxygen. Encouraged by these photophysical signatures, we conducted in vitro trials in cancer cells. These assays ratify the ability of most of the herein reported dimers to sensitize ROS and induce cell death upon long-wavelength illumination. |
| eu_rights_str_mv | openAccess |
| format | article |
| id | ES_f8b8a6d0eaacdff9d0e563e6455f490b |
| institution | Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV) |
| instname_str | Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV) |
| language | eng |
| network_acronym_str | ES |
| network_name_str | España |
| oai_identifier_str | oai:riunet.upv.es:10251/230465 |
| publishDate | 2025 |
| publishDateSort | 2025 |
| publisher | Royal Society of Chemistry |
| publisherStr | Royal Society of Chemistry |
| reponame_str | RiuNet. Repositorio Institucional de la Universitat Politécnica de Valéncia |
| spelling | Heavy-atom-free BODIPY-based photodynamic therapy agents activated at long wavelengths Soler-Beatty, Jennifer Avellanal-Zaballa, Edurne Durán-Sampedro, Gonzalo Agarrabeitia, Antonia R. Bañuelos, Jorge Ortiz, María J. García-Fernández, Alba|||0000-0002-8416-1674 Martínez-Máñez, Ramón|||0000-0001-5873-9674 Photodynamic therapy Photosensitizers Reactive oxygen species BODIPY dimers Near-infrared activation Cancer treatment [EN] Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is an emerging clinical tool that uses light as an agent unleashing cytotoxic activity for treating cancer and other diseases, including those showing drug resistance. One of the main areas of research to fully implement PDT as a real alternative to chemo or radiotherapy is the development of improved photosensitizers (PSs). This work aims to contribute to the design of novel PSs able to generate reactive oxygen species (ROS) upon activation with light within the biological window (deep red or near-infrared region) while being non-toxic under dark conditions (heavy-atom-free). For this, we have chosen BODIPY-based covalent dimers directly linked through their 3-position as model structures. This molecular scaffold has been previously tested as a fluorescent probe to stain cells, but not as a PS for ROS generation under red illumination. Using readily available synthetic protocols, we have changed the steric hindrance around the linkage and added functional groups suited to enhance targetable biorecognition and solubility in physiological media. The spectroscopic characterization confirms that these dimers are photoactivated in a spectral window approaching 700 nm and display noticeable fluorescence signals beyond this wavelength, together with a notable generation of singlet oxygen. Encouraged by these photophysical signatures, we conducted in vitro trials in cancer cells. These assays ratify the ability of most of the herein reported dimers to sensitize ROS and induce cell death upon long-wavelength illumination. The authors acknowledge grants PID2020-114755GB-C32 and -C33, and PID2021-128141OB-C22 funded by the Spanish MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033, and grant IT1639-22 funded by the Basque Government. Royal Society of Chemistry https://riunet.upv.es/handle/10251/230465 |
| spellingShingle | Heavy-atom-free BODIPY-based photodynamic therapy agents activated at long wavelengths Soler-Beatty, Jennifer Photodynamic therapy Photosensitizers Reactive oxygen species BODIPY dimers Near-infrared activation Cancer treatment |
| title | Heavy-atom-free BODIPY-based photodynamic therapy agents activated at long wavelengths |
| title_full | Heavy-atom-free BODIPY-based photodynamic therapy agents activated at long wavelengths |
| title_fullStr | Heavy-atom-free BODIPY-based photodynamic therapy agents activated at long wavelengths |
| title_full_unstemmed | Heavy-atom-free BODIPY-based photodynamic therapy agents activated at long wavelengths |
| title_short | Heavy-atom-free BODIPY-based photodynamic therapy agents activated at long wavelengths |
| title_sort | Heavy-atom-free BODIPY-based photodynamic therapy agents activated at long wavelengths |
| topic | Photodynamic therapy Photosensitizers Reactive oxygen species BODIPY dimers Near-infrared activation Cancer treatment |
| topic_facet | Photodynamic therapy Photosensitizers Reactive oxygen species BODIPY dimers Near-infrared activation Cancer treatment |
| url | https://riunet.upv.es/handle/10251/230465 |