Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a minimally invasive technique which has proven to be successful in the treatment of several types of tumors. This relatively simple method exploits three inseparable elements: phototoxic compound (photosensitizer [PS]), light source, and oxygen. Upon irradiation by light with specified wavelength, PS generates reactive oxygen species, which starts the cascade of reactions leading to cell death. The positive therapeutic outcome of PDT may be limited due to several aspects, including low water solubility of PSs, hampering their effective administration and blood circulation, as well as low tumor specificity, inefficient cellular uptake and activation energies requiring prolonged illumination times. One of the promising approaches to overcome these obstacles involves the use of carrier systems modulating pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of the PSs. In the present review, we summarized current in vitro and in vivo studies regarding the use of nanoparticles as potential delivery devices for PSs to enhance their cellular uptake and cytotoxic properties, and thus—the therapeutic outcome of PDT.This article is categorized under: Therapeutic Approaches and Drug Discovery > Emerging Technologies Nanotechnology Approaches to Biology > Nanoscale Systems in Biology Therapeutic Approaches and Drug Discovery > Nanomedicine for Oncologic Disease

Over the last few years, the development of nanotechnology has allowed for the synthesis of many different nanostructures with controlled sizes, shapes, and chemical properties, with dendrimers being the best-characterized of them. In this review, we present a succinct view of the structure and the synthetic procedures used for dendrimer synthesis, as well as the cellular uptake mechanisms used by these nanoparticles to gain access to the cell. In addition, the manuscript reviews the reported in vivo applications of dendrimers as drug carriers for drugs used in the treatment of cancer, neurodegenerative diseases, infections, and ocular diseases. The dendrimer-based formulations that have reached different phases of clinical trials, including safety and pharmacokinetic studies, or as delivery agents for therapeutic compounds are also presented. The continuous development of nanotechnology which makes it possible to produce increasingly sophisticated and complex dendrimers indicates that this fascinating family of nanoparticles has a wide potential in the pharmaceutical industry, especially for applications in drug delivery systems, and that the number of dendrimer-based compounds entering clinical trials will markedly increase during the coming years.

Rose bengal is an anionic dye considered as a potential photosensitizer for anticancer photodynamic therapy. The clinical utility of rose bengal is hampered by its short half-life, limited transmembrane transport, aggregation, and self-quenching; consequently, efficient drug carriers that overcome these obstacles are urgently required. In this study, we performed multilevel in vitro and in silico characterization of interactions between rose bengal and cationic poly(amidoamine) (PAMAM) and poly(propyleneimine) (PPI) dendrimers of the third and fourth generation and assessed the ability of the resultant complexes to modulate the photosensitizing properties of the drug. We focused on explaining the molecular basis of this phenomenon and proved that the generation- and structure-dependent binding of the dye by the dendrimers increases the cellular uptake and production of singlet oxygen and intracellular reactive oxygen species, leading to an increase in phototoxicity. We conclude that the application of dendrimer carriers could enable the design of efficient photodynamic therapies based on rose bengal.

Photodynamic therapy is one of the best alternatives to chemo-, radio- or surgical therapy, as it is noninvasive and causes no severe side effects. The mechanism of photodynamic therapy involves activation of the drug (photosensitizer) with light of appropriate wavelength, which combined with molecular oxygen, leads to production of reactive oxygen species. This starts a cascade of reactions leading to cell death. Thus, the efficiency of this therapy is based mainly on the properties of a photosensitizer, including singlet oxygen yield and accumulation in the tumor area. Current research is aimed at applying nanosystems for the improvement of availability and photodynamic properties of photosensitizers. In order to improve the activity and increase photodynamic potential of rose bengal, one of the most promising drugs in anticancer photodynamic therapy, several drug delivery systems were developed. Among them, polymersomes represent a group of innovative polymeric vesicles mimicking membranous cell structures. Polymersomes are nanosystems made of amphiphilic block copolymers, possessing a spherical, liposome-like architecture. Within this study we present biophysical and in vitro biological characterization of this novel pH-stable nanosystem, which due to the improvement of singlet oxygen and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production by rose bengal is a good candidate for nanocarrier in photodynamic therapy.

Introduction: Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a promising cancer treatment. However, the efficacy of photosensitizers such as rose bengal (RB) is often limited by poor delivery. Dendrimer-based nanocarriers can enhance PDT efficacy in vitro, but their in vivo safety profile remains largely uncharacterized. This study aimed to assess the systemic safety of three different dendrimer-based RB delivery systems in a healthy mouse model. Methods: BALB/c mice were randomly divided into eight groups and received weekly intraperitoneal injections of either PBS (control), free RB, or one of three carriers (phosphorus dendrimer 1cat, dendrimersome DG2, PPI G3 dendrimer) with or without RB. Body weight was monitored weekly. Blood and urine samples were collected over four weeks for comprehensive biochemical and microscopic analysis, assessing markers for liver, kidney, and muscle function. Results: No significant changes in body weight were observed across any of the groups. Analysis of blood biochemical parameters (including ALT, AST, urea, creatinine, and LDH) and urine profiles revealed no statistically significant differences between any treatment group and the PBS control group over the four-week study period. The observed minor fluctuations in some parameters were not dose- or time-dependent and remained within normal physiological ranges. Conclusion: The three tested nanocarrier systems - phosphorus dendrimer 1cat, dendrimersome DG2, and PPI G3 dendrimer - and their respective rose bengal formulations are well tolerated and do not induce systemic toxicity in BALB/c mice at the tested concentrations. These findings support their safety for in vivo applications and provide a basis for future efficacy studies in tumor-bearing animal models.

Due to its fluorescent and phototoxic properties, rose bengal (RB) is used in photodynamic therapy. To improve the delivery of RB to its site of action, the application of nanocarrier systems has been proposed. The most promising approach includes the use of pH-responsive nanoparticles. To evaluate the pattern of drug release in different buffers, equilibrium dialysis is commonly used. Here, we used water and two buffers to determine the impact of solvent composition on the aggregation and dialysis rate of RB through a cellulose membrane. The results show that buffer composition does not influence the fluorescent properties of RB. However, the presence of additional ions causes a change in diffusion rate that is most probably linked to the size of RB aggregates.