Organelle-specific thiochromenocarbazole imide derivative as a heavy-atom-free type I photosensitizer for biomolecule-triggered image-guided photodynamic therapyShow others and affiliations
2025 (English)In: The Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters, E-ISSN 1948-7185, Vol. 6, no 9, p. 2273-2282Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]
Modern photodynamic therapy (PDT) demands next-generation photosensitizers (PSs) that overcome heavy-atom dependency and enhance efficacy beyond traditional, highly oxygen-dependent type II mechanisms. We introduce herein TCI-NH, as a thiochromenocarbazole imide derivative designed for type I photodynamic action. Upon light activation, TCI-NH efficiently favors superoxide (O2•-) and PS-centered radical formation instead of singlet oxygen (1O2) generation. Its high luminescence efficiency and selective localization in both the endoplasmic reticulum and mitochondria enable precise, image-guided PDT. Notably, interactions with biomolecules, such as serum albumin or DNA, enhance TCI-NH’s emission by up to 40-fold and amplify radical generation by up to 5-fold. With negligible dark toxicity, this results in ∼120 nM photocytotoxicity along with an impressive phototherapeutic index exceeding 200. Real-time live-cell imaging revealed rapid, light-triggered cytotoxicity characterized by apoptotic body formation and extensive cellular damage. With its small size, heavy-atom-free structure, exceptional, organelle specificity, and therapeutic efficacy, TCI-NH sets a new benchmark for anticancer type I PDT.
Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
American Chemical Society (ACS), 2025. Vol. 6, no 9, p. 2273-2282
National Category
Physical Chemistry
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:umu:diva-236262DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.5c00136ISI: 001432861000001PubMedID: 39988904Scopus ID: 2-s2.0-85219034979OAI: oai:DiVA.org:umu-236262DiVA, id: diva2:1948708
Funder
EU, Horizon 2020Swedish Cancer Society, 22 2380 Pj01 HKnut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation, KAW2021.0172025-03-312025-03-312025-04-15Bibliographically approved