Rational design of iridium–porphyrin conjugates for novel synergistic photodynamic and photothermal therapy anticancer agents

Abstract

Iridium–porphyrin conjugates assembled in nanoparticles are photosensitizers that exhibit excellent photothermal imaging and synergistic PDT and PTT in vivo.

Photoactive Oligomer with an Acceptor–Donor–Acceptor-Conjugated Structure for Single Near-Infrared Light-Triggered Photothermal/Photodynamic Synergistic Therapy of Tumors

“…The simple combination of a traditional photosensitizer (PS) with a photothermal agent (PTA) offers an alternative strategy, , where two light sources for the separate excitation of PS and PTA are generally required, causing a complicated treatment process and unpredictable therapeutic effects . In contrast, single-component-based bifunctional photoresponsive materials enable single light to trigger PDT/PTT combination therapy, providing many advantages of a much simpler therapeutic process, less phototoxicity, and higher safety. ,,,− …”

Benzothiazole-decorated iridium-based nanophotosensitizers for photodynamic therapy of cancer cells

“…Cyclometalated iridium (Ir)( iii ) complexes are metal complexes with extensive applications, including photocatalysis, 16 nonlinear optics, 17,18 sensors, 19,20 cell imaging, 21–23 and PDT. 24–28 Ir( iii ) complexes have demonstrated high triplet excited-state lifetimes and quantum efficiency, which have beneficial effects in terms of energy transfer with oxygen resulting in high singlet oxygen quantum yields. 29–33 In addition, Ir( iii ) complexes with different cyclometalated (C^N) and diimine (N^N) ligands exhibited phototoxicity indexes (PI, defined as the ratio of the toxic effects in the dark and upon light irradiation 34 ) ranging from 35 to 1657 for cancer cells, indicating the key role of Ir( iii ) complex ligands in PDT.…”

New Bis-Cyclometalated Iridium(III) Complexes with β-Substituted Porphyrin-Arylbipyridine as the Ancillary Ligand: Electrochemical and Photophysical Insights

“…Alternatively, the functionalization of the porphyrin periphery with adequate metal binding groups (e.g., pyridines, terpyridines) affording assemblies with an external active metal center has also attracted a high interest from the scientific community [ 49 , 50 , 51 ]. In most of these studies the focus has been on the use of metals like Ru, Re, Ir, and Pt [ 49 , 52 , 53 , 54 , 55 , 56 ], but no report concerning the use of iridium as the external metal was considered at β-pyrrolic positions.…”