Photodynamic therapy using polymeric micelles containing photosensitizers

In recent years, photodynamic therapy (PDT) has emerged as a promising cancer treatment due to its minimal risk of harming normal cells and non-invasive nature, alleviating the burden on patients. PDT utilizes light and photosensitizers to exploit photochemical reactions for therapeutic purposes. However, a challenge arises postPDT treatment, where residual photosensitizers in the body can induce phototoxicity upon exposure to sunlight. To address this issue, the concept of drug delivery systems (DDS) has garnered attention. DDS aims to control drug distribution in the body, maximizing therapeutic effects while minimizing side effects. In this study, we explore the use of polymeric micelles as nanocarriers for DDS, leveraging their advantages such as tumor-specific accumulation and low toxicity. The synthesis of photosensitizer-containing block copolymers was conducted, followed by evaluation of micellization using NMR and assessment of phototoxicity utilizing HeLa cells. The obtained results revealed a critical micelle concentration (CMC) of 0.16 mg/mL. Notably, significant cell toxicity was observed at the CMC concentration in the phototoxicity assay, highlighting the potential of these polymeric micelles as an effective nanocarrier system for enhanced photodynamic therapy.