Multifunctionalized mesoporous silica nanoparticles for the in vitro treatment of retinoblastoma: Drug delivery, one and two-photon photodynamic therapy.

In this work, we focused on mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSN) for one photon excitated photodynamic therapy (OPE-PDT) combined with drug delivery and carbohydrate targeting applied on retinoblastoma, a rare disease of childhood. We demonstrate that bitherapy (camptothecin delivery and photodynamic therapy) performed with MSN on retinoblastoma cancer cells was efficient in inducing cancer cell death. Alternatively MSN designed for two-photon excited photodynamic therapy (TPE-PDT) were also studied and irradiation at low fluence efficiently killed retinoblastoma cancer cells.

Cancer therapy improvement with mesoporous silica nanoparticles combining targeting, drug delivery and PDT.

The synthesis of mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSN) covalently encapsulating fluoresceine or a photosensitizer, functionalized with galactose on the surface is described. Confocal microscopy experiments demonstrated that the uptake of galactose-functionalized MSN by colorectal cancer cells was mediated by galactose receptors leading to the accumulation of the nanoparticles in the endosomal and lysosomal compartments. The MSN functionalized with a photosensitizer and galactose were loaded with the anti-cancer drug camptothecin. Those MSN combining drug delivery and photodynamic therapy were tested on three cancer cell lines and showed a dramatic enhancement of cancer cell death compared to separate treatments.

A strategy for the targeting of photosensitizers. Synthesis, characterization, and photobiological property of porphyrins bearing glycodendrimeric moieties.

This paper describes the conception, synthesis, and characterization of new tetrapyrrolic chromophores bearing glycodendrimeric moieties inducing a potential increase of tumor targeting by a cluster effect. Two families of monoglycodendrimeric photosensitizers bearing three glycosyl units were designed, prepared with an acceptable overall efficiency and characterized by NMR, UV-visible, and fluorescence spectroscopies. The polarity and log P were evaluated by HPLC and the stir-flask method, respectively. The in vitro photoefficiency against two human tumor cell lines was assessed. The presence of the glycodendrimeric group does not appear to increase the tumor in vitro targeting.

Silicalites and Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles for photodynamic therapy.

The synthesis of silicalites and Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles (MSN), which covalently incorporate original water-soluble photosensitizers for PDT applications is described. PDT was performed on MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells. All the nanoparticles showed significant cell death after irradiation, which was not correlated with (1)O(2) quantum yield of the nanoparticles. Other parameters are involved and in particular the surface and shape of the nanoparticles which influence the pathway of endocytosis. Functionalization with mannose was necessary to obtain the best results with PDT due to an active endocytosis of mannose-functionalized nanoparticles. The quantity of mannose on the surface should be carefully adjusted as a too high amount of mannose impairs the phototoxicity of the nanoparticles. Fluorescein was also encapsulated in MCM-41 type MSN in order to localize the nanoparticles in the organelles of the cells by confocal microscopy. The MSN were localized in lysosomes after active endocytosis by mannose receptors.

23Na MRI longitudinal follow-up of PDT in a xenograft model of human retinoblastoma.

BACKGROUND: Photodynamic therapy is an established cancer treatment in which a photosensitizing agent is activated by exposure to light thus generating cytotoxic reactive oxygen species that cause cellular damage. METHODS: A new photosensitizer synthesized at Curie Institute was used to treat retinoblastoma xenografts in mice, a glycoconjugated meso substituted porphyrin derivative, that showed some retinoblastoma cell affinity. The longitudinal follow-up of the tumors was carried out by (23)Na MRI (without adding exogenous contrast agents) to map the extracellular compartment and to characterize cell packing. Two regimens were followed to target either blood vessels alone or blood vessels and cancer cells simultaneously. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: Only the protocol targeting both cancer cells and blood vessels effectively induces cellular death, confirmed by histology at the end of the experiment. Sodium MRI evidences a huge change in the cellular density of tumors only 24h after a double targeting (vascular and cellular) PDT treatment. We suggest that this change was possibly due to a bystander effect that can be promoted by the intercellular signaling favored by the high cellular density of retinoblastoma. These results indicate that non-invasive (23)Na imaging (which detects the tumor response to treatment from very early stages) in association with non-mutagenic therapies represents an effective option for tailored and individualized clinical treatments.

Redox effects on the coordination geometry and heme conformation of bis(N-methylimidazole) complexes of superstructured Fe-porphyrins. A spectroscopic study.

Electronic absorption, electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR), and Soret-excited resonance Raman (RR) spectra are reported for bis(N-alkylimidazole) complexes of various iron(III)-"basket-handle" (Fe(III)BHP(+)) and "picket-fence" (Fe(III)PFP(+)) porphyrins in methylene chloride. The Fe(III)BHP(+) derivatives consist of four cross-trans (CT) and two adjacent-cis (AC) -linked in which the composition and the length of the handles are variable (CT Fe(III)[(C(11)Im)(2)(+)], CT and AC Fe(III)[((C(4))(2)phi)(2)](+), CT Fe(III)[((C(3))(2)phi)(C(12))](+), CT and AC Fe(III)[((C(3))(2)phi)(2)](+)). The meso-alphaalpha betabeta and meso-alphabeta alphabeta atropisomers of Fe(III)-tetrakis(o-pivalamidophenyl)-porphyrins represents the Fe(III)PFP(+) derivatives (Fe(III)alphaalpha betabeta-T(piv)PP(+) and Fe(III)alphabeta alphabeta-T(piv)PP(+), respectively). The absorption and RR data obtained for these ferric compounds were compared to those previously published for the homologous ferrous complexes (Picaud, T., Le Moigne, C., Loock, B., Momenteau, M. and Desbois, A. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2003, 125, 11616 and Le Moigne, C., Picaud, T., Boussac, A., Loock, B., Momenteau, M. and Desbois, A. Inorg. Chem. 2003, 42, 6081). The Soret band position of the eight investigated ferric compounds is observed between 417 and 424 nm, indicating that none of the complexes possesses a planar heme. The EPR spectra show that most of the Fe(III)BHP(+) complexes and all the Fe(III)PFP(+) complexes are rhombic B-type hemichromes (g(max) = 2.86-2.96). Notable exceptions concern the bis(N-methylimidazole) complexes of two CT Fe(III)BHP(+). The Fe(III)BHP(+) with the shortest handles (Fe(III)[((C(3))(2)phi)(2)](+)) exhibits a g value at 2.80. When the handles are lengthened by two methylene units (Fe(III)[((C(3))(2)phi)(2)](+)), the EPR spectrum corresponds to a mixture of two "highly anisotropic low-spin " or "large g(max)" type I EPR signals, a major species at g = 3.17 and a minor species at g = 3.77. All these EPR data were converted in terms of dihedral angle formed by the rings of the axial ligands. The RR spectra of the Fe(III)BHP(+) and Fe(III)PFP(+) complexes exhibited variable frequencies for the structure-sensitive nu(2) and nu(8) lines (1558-1563 cm(-1) and 386-401 cm(-1), respectively). In considering the ability of the different superstructures to stabilize particular out-of-plane distortions, this vibrational information was analyzed in terms of heme structure through changes in core size and Fe-N(pyrrole) bond length, in relation to changes in coordination geometry. The bis(N-methylimidazole) complex of Fe(III)[((C(3))(2)phi)(2)](+) was found to be the most distorted with a strongly ruffled tetrapyrrole. Because of a handle asymmetry, the heme conformation of the bis(N-methylimidazole) complex of Fe(III)[((C(3))(2)phi)(C(12))](+) was deduced to be a composition of ruffled and domed structures. The heme structure of the other complexes is a mixture of ruffled and saddled or ruffled and waved conformations. Taking into account our previous data on the ferrous series, this investigation provides information about the reorganization of the heme structure upon iron oxidation. The general trend is a decrease of either the core-size, or the Fe-N(pyrrole) bond length, or both. However, we demonstrated that the heme superstructures precisely control the nature and the extent of the tetrapyrrole reshaping. These results point out similar possible effect in the heme proteins, considering both an analogy between porphyrin superstructures and amino acids forming the heme sites and the diversity of the heme environments in the proteins.

Mannose-targeted mesoporous silica nanoparticles for photodynamic therapy.

Functionalisation of MSN with mannose for PDT applications dramatically improved the efficiency of PDT on breast cancer cells.

New strategy for targeting of photosensitizers. Synthesis of glycodendrimeric phenylporphyrins, incorporation into a liposome membrane and interaction with a specific lectin.

Two glycodendrimeric phenylporphyrins were synthesized and their interaction with phospholipids was studied at the air-water interface and in liposome bilayers; such liposomes bearing glycodendrimeric porphyrin could constitute an efficient carrier for drug targeting in photodynamic therapy.

Development of strategies for the regiocontrolled synthesis of meso-5,10,20-triaryl-2,3-chlorins.

Triglycoconjugated photosensitizers show promise for use in the photodynamic therapy-based treatment of cancer. Two different routes have been studied for the regioselective preparation of 5,10,20-meso-triphenyl-2,3-chlorin, 9a, and 5,10,20-meso-tri(4-isopropyloxyphenyl)-2,3-chlorin, 9b. The main issue was to control the placement of the partially reduced pyrrole ring in the more hindered environment in the triarylchlorin products.

Photodynamic efficiency of diethylene glycol-linked glycoconjugated porphyrins in human retinoblastoma cells.

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is emerging as a new strategy for the conservative treatment of hereditary retinoblastoma. The glycoconjugated porphyrins TPP(p-Deg-O-alpha-GalOH)(3), TPP(p-Deg-O-beta-GalOH)(3), TPP(p-Deg-O-alpha-ManOH)(3), and their S-analogues were synthesized to obtain efficient photosensitizers with some retinoblastoma cell affinity. In these systems, a sugar motif and porphyrin core were linked by a diethylene glycol spacer (Deg). Cellular uptake, localization, and photoactivity have been examined in human retinoblastoma cells (Y79). After preincubation with corresponding glycosylated albumin, the uptake of TPP(p-Deg-O-beta-GalOH)(3) and TPP(p-Deg-O-alpha-ManOH)(3) was 40-45% inhibited, indicating a possible cell-sugar-receptor saturation. High photoactivity was observed for the two alpha-galacto/manno porphyrins 8 and 10 (LD(50) = 0.05 and 0.35 muM, respectively) at 514 nm and low fluence (1 J/cm(2)). Analysis by MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry only indicated a small metabolic cleavage of the O-glycoconjugates and a good stability of the S-glycoside porphyrins. On the basis of these in vitro data, TPP(p-Deg-O-alpha-GalOH)(3) and TPP(p-Deg-O-alpha-ManOH)(3) were selected for in vivo studies.

Absorption and resonance Raman investigations of ligand rotation and nonplanar heme distortion in bis-base low-spin iron(II)-tetrakis(o-pivalamidophenyl)porphyrin complexes.

The absorption and resonance Raman (RR) spectra of the bis-N-methylimidazole, bis-1,5-dicyclohexylimidazole, and bis-pyridine complexes of the meso-alphaalphabetabeta and meso-alphabetaalphabeta atropisomers of Fe(II)-tetrakis(o-pivalamidophenyl)porphyrins (Fe(II)TpivPP) were obtained in methylene chloride. The different spatial arrangements of the o-pivalamide pickets in these two Fe(II)TpivPP compounds are expected to control the absolute and relative positions of the axial ligand rings with respect to the Fe-N(pyrrole) bonds. In particular, the spectroscopic data obtained for the bis-N-methylimidazole and bis-dicyclohexylimidazole complexes of the Fe(II)[alphabetaalphabeta-TpivPP] derivative showed the most important differences. Redshifts of the B and Q absorption bands (+ 4-5 nm) as well as an upshift of the low frequency nu(8) RR mode (+ 5 cm(-)(1)) were observed. No shift of the skeletal high frequency modes was detected. These spectral effects were associated with a change in relative position of the axial imidazole rings from nearly parallel in the bis-N-methylimidazole complex to nearly perpendicular in the bis-dicyclohexylimidazole complex. On the basis of stereochemical considerations as well as previous spectroscopic investigations, the data were interpreted in terms of change in porphyrin structure from planar to saddled. Complementing to a parallel study on bis-base Fe(II) "basket handle" porphyrin complexes, this spectroscopic investigation provides an additional means to distinguish planar, ruffled, and saddled conformations for ferrous hemes included in proteins.

Nonplanar distortions of bis-base low-spin iron(II)-porphyrinates: absorption and resonance Raman investigations of cross-trans-linked iron(II)-basket-handle porphyrin complexes.

Electronic absorption and Soret-excited resonance Raman (RR) spectra are reported for bis-N-alkylimidazole and bis-pyridine complexes of various cross-trans-linked iron(II)-"basket-handle" porphyrins (Fe(II)-BHP) in methylene chloride. These compounds enable us to characterize the spectroscopic properties of ruffled six-coordinated low-spin Fe(II)-porphyrin complexes. The visible absorption spectra show that the Q and B bands are progressively red-shifted when the handles are shortened and/or when the steric hindrance of the axial ligands is increased. This effect is accompanied by both a decrease in RR frequency of the nu(2) mode and an increase in frequency of the nu(8) and nu(s)(Fe-ligand(2)) modes. More precisely, an inverse linear correlation is found between the frequencies of the nu(2) and nu(8) modes. For each ligation state, the positions of the absorption bands are also linearly correlated with the frequency of the nu(2) or nu(8) mode. All of these spectroscopic data reveal that the degree of ruffling of the Fe(II)-BHP complexes is increased by the N-methylimidazole --> pyridine axial substitutions, presumably because the mutual steric strains between the axial ligand rings, the porphyrin macrocycle and the porphyrin handles are increased. The present study provides a first basis for discerning ruffled conformations from planar and other nonplanar structures in ferrous heme proteins.