Folic Acid–Conjugated Pyropheophorbide a as the Photosensitizer Tested for In Vivo Targeted Photodynamic Therapy

摘要: Abstract Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a highly localized and minimally invasive cancer treatment modality with many important advantages, but the lack of ideal photosensitizers (PSs) greatly restricts its clinical utility. To develop new PSs efficient singlet oxygen production high tumor-localizing ability to reduce damage healthy adjacent tissues, we conjugated folic acid (FA) pyropheophorbide (Pyro), potent PS very quantum yield extinction coefficient. In present work, describe synthesis PDT evaluation this FA–Pyro conjugate both in vitro in vivo . This conjugation increased accumulation Pyro inside tumors improved efficiency PDT, resulting in eradication subcutaneous xenograft KB (human mouth epidermal carcinoma) after only 1 or 2 applications external near infrared light irradiation. outstanding outcome tumor-bearing mouse model simple should have good practical potential for application.