Photodynamic therapy and nuclear imaging activities of zinc phthalocyanine‐integrated TiO₂ nanoparticles in breast and cervical tumors

Abstract

In recent years, phthalocyanines (Pcs) have been widely used as photosensitizer in photodynamic therapy applications. Because of their strong absorptions in the near-infrared region (640-700 nm). The integration of phthalocyanine derivatives to a nanoparticle is expected to be efficient way to improve the activity of the photosensitizer on the targeted tissue. It is known that the integrated molecules not only show better accumulation on tumor tissue but also reduce toxicity in healthy tissues. In this study, the ZnPc molecule was synthesized and integrated to the TiO₂ nanoparticle, to investigate the potential of PDT and its cytotoxicity. Additionally, ZnPc and ZnPc-TiO₂ molecules were labeled with ¹³¹ I and it was aimed to put forth the nuclear imaging/therapy potentials of ¹³¹ I labeled ZnPc/ZnPc-TiO₂ by determining in vitro uptakes in mouse mammary carcinoma (EMT6), human cervical adenocarcinoma (HeLa). In result of our study, it was observed that the radiolabeling yields of the synthesized ZnPc and ZnPc-TiO₂ with ¹³¹ I were quite high. In vitro uptake studies shown that ¹³¹ I-ZnPc-TiO₂ could be a potential agent for nuclear imaging/treatment of breast and cervical cancers. According to PDT results, ZnPc-TiO₂ might have as to be a potential PDT agent in the treatment of cervical tumor. ZnPc and ZnPc-TiO₂ might be used as theranostic agents.