TiO2-ZnPc nanoparticles functionalized with folic acid as a target photosensitizer for photodynamic therapy against glioblastoma cells

• Published in: Journal of materials science. Materials in medicine Vol. 35; no. 1; pp. 51 - 13
• Main Authors: Jardón-Guadarrama, Gustavo, Manríquez-Ramírez, Ma Elena, Rodríguez-Pérez, Citlali E., Díaz-Ruiz, Araceli, de los Ángeles Martínez-Cárdenas, María, Mata-Bermudez, Alfonso, Ríos, Camilo, Ortiz-Islas, Emma
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Springer US 22.08.2024; Springer Nature B.V; Springer
• Subjects: Acids; Anatase; Biocompatibility; Biomaterials; Biomaterials Synthesis and Characterization; Biomedical Engineering and Bioengineering; Cancer therapies; Cell viability; Cellular structure; Ceramics; Chemistry and Materials Science; Composites; Cytotoxicity; Folic acid; Functional groups; Glass; Glioblastoma; Glioblastoma cells; Glioma; In vitro methods and tests; Irradiation; Light microscopy; Materials Science; Microscopy; Nanoparticles; Natural Materials; Optical microscopy; Photodynamic therapy; Polymer Sciences; Reactive oxygen species; Regenerative Medicine/Tissue Engineering; Sol-gel processes; Spectroscopy; Structural analysis; Surfaces and Interfaces; Thin Films; Titanium dioxide; Toxicity; Toxicity testing; Ultraviolet radiation; Vitamin B; Wavelengths; Zinc
• ISSN: 0957-4530; 1573-4838; 1573-4838
• DOI: 10.1007/s10856-024-06823-w

The use of TiO 2 as a photosensitizer in photodynamic therapy is limited due to TiO 2 generates reactive oxygen species only under UV irradiation. The TiO 2 surface has been modified with different functional groups to achieve activation at longer wavelengths (visible light). This work reports the synthesis, characterization, and biological toxicity assay of TiO 2 nanoparticles functionalized with folic acid and combined with a zinc phthalocyanine to obtain a nano-photosensitizer for its application in photodynamic therapy for glioblastoma cancer treatment. The nano-photosensitizer was prepared using the sol-gel method. Folic acid and zinc phthalocyanine were added during the hydrolysis and condensation of titanium butoxide, which was the TiO 2 precursor. The samples obtained were characterized by several microscopy and spectroscopy techniques. An in vitro toxicity test was performed using the MTT assay and the C6 cellular line. The results of the characterization showed that the structure of the nanoparticles corresponds mainly to the anatase phase. Successful functionalization with folic acid and an excellent combination with phthalocyanine was also achieved. Both folic acid-functionalized TiO 2 and phthalocyanine-functionalized TiO 2 had no cytotoxic effect on C6 cells (even at high concentrations) in comparison to Cis-Pt, which was very toxic to C6 cells. The materials behaved similarly to the control (untreated cells). The cell viability and light microscopy images suggest that both materials could be considered biocompatible and mildly phototoxic in these cells when activated by light. Graphical Abstract