Author(s):
Moura, Nuno M. M. ; Reis, Melani J. A. ; Lodeiro, Carlos ; Neves, M. Graça P. M. S. ; Cavaleiro, José A. S. ; Fernandes, Rosa ; Gomes, Ana T.P.C.
Date: 2025
Persistent ID: http://hdl.handle.net/10362/185045
Origin: Repositório Institucional da UNL
Project/scholarship:
info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/FCT/Concurso para Atribuição do Estatuto e Financiamento de Laboratórios Associados (LA)/LA%2FP%2F0008%2F2020/PT;
info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/FCT/Concurso de avaliação no âmbito do Programa Plurianual de Financiamento de Unidades de I&D (2017%2F2018) - Financiamento Programático/UIDP%2F50006%2F2020/PT;
info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/FCT/Concurso de avaliação no âmbito do Programa Plurianual de Financiamento de Unidades de I&D (2017%2F2018) - Financiamento Base/UIDB%2F50006%2F2020/PT;
info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/FCT/CEEC INST 2018/CEECINST%2F00137%2F2018%2FCP1520%2FCT0022/PT;
info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/FCT/POR_CENTRO/2020.05838.BD/PT;
Subject(s): Porphyrins; Iridium complexes; Photodynamic therapy; Photosensitizer; Cancer; SDG 3 - Good Health and Well-being
Description
Funding Information: This research work received financial support from the University of Aveiro and Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia and Ministério da Ciência, Tecnologia e Ensino Superior (FCT/MCTES) to support the LAQV-REQUIMTE (LA/P/0008/2020 DOI 10.54499/LA/P/0008/2020, UIDP/50006/2020 DOI 10.54499/UIDP/50006/2020 and UIDB/50006/2020 DOI 10.54499/UIDB/50006/2020) research unit through national funds and, where applicable, was co-financed by the FEDER, within the PT2020 Partnership Agreement, and to the Portuguese NMR Network. NMM Moura and ATPC Gomes thanks FCT for funding through program DL 57/2016 – Norma transitória (CDL-CTTRI-048-88-ARH/2018) and (CEECINST/00137/2018/CP1520/CT0022), respectively. MJA Reis thanks FCT for her PhD grant (2020.05838.BD).
Cancer stands as the second leading global cause of death, following heart disease. Considering the severe side effects revealed by some chemotherapeutics for tumor treatment and anticancer therapies, the scientific community is actively exploring more effective alternatives. Photodynamic Therapy (PDT) mediated by porphyrin-based photosensitizers (PS) has emerged as an attractive alternative to more conventional therapies. In this study, we incorporated bis-cyclometalated iridium(III) complexes featuring porphyrin-arylbipyridine ligands into poly(vinylpyrrolidone) (PVP) micelle. This integration resulted in photostable PVP-PS formulations with a remarkable capability to generate singlet oxygen. These formulations were also efficiently internalized by HT-1379 cells and due to these features, their photodynamic action against human bladder cancer cells (HT-1376 cell line) was assessed. All the formulations demonstrated high photodynamic activity, with PVP-2 and PVP-3 proving to be the most promising PS, as evidenced by their lower IC50PDT values. It was also demonstrated that all PVP-based formulations provide a safe and effective approach for photodynamic therapy (PDT) in bladder cancer, as no cytotoxic effects were observed in Vero cells. © 2024 The Authors
