Targeted Delivery of Chlorin-e6-Loaded Carbon Nanotube-Based Nanobiocomposite to Cancer Stem Cells for Enhanced Photodynamic Therapy

<b>Background:</b> Globally, colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third-most diagnosed cancer among males and the second-most diagnosed cancer among females. In cancer, stem cells are a subset of neoplastic cells capable of tumorigenesis and exhibit properties like normal stem cells. Moreover,...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Prabhavathi Sundaram, Sathish Sundar Dhilip Kumar, Heidi Abrahamse
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-04-01
Series:Pharmaceutics
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4923/17/4/469
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1850180227057057792
author Prabhavathi Sundaram
Sathish Sundar Dhilip Kumar
Heidi Abrahamse
author_facet Prabhavathi Sundaram
Sathish Sundar Dhilip Kumar
Heidi Abrahamse
author_sort Prabhavathi Sundaram
collection DOAJ
description <b>Background:</b> Globally, colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third-most diagnosed cancer among males and the second-most diagnosed cancer among females. In cancer, stem cells are a subset of neoplastic cells capable of tumorigenesis and exhibit properties like normal stem cells. Moreover, they are resistant to conventional cancer treatments and can repopulate the tumor following treatment. Cancer cells are stimulated to undergo apoptosis by photodynamic therapy (PDT), which involves a light source, a photosensitizer, and reactive oxygen species. <b>Methods:</b> In this study, colon cancer stem cells were isolated from colon cancer cells and characterized using flow cytometry and immunofluorescence techniques. To treat colon cancer stem cells (CCSCs), single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) were coupled with hyaluronic acid (HA) and loaded with chlorin-e6 (Ce6). Nanobiocomposite toxicity was assessed using CCSCs with two fluences of 5 J/cm<sup>2</sup> and 10 J/cm<sup>2</sup>. The cellular changes were observed at 24 and 48 h using microscopy, <b>Results:</b> LDH cytotoxicity assay, and cell death induction by annexin propidium iodide assay. An intracellular analysis of reactive oxygen species (ROS) detected oxidative stress within CCSCs. <b>Conclusions:</b> Overall, the results showed that the newly synthesized nanobiocomposite enhanced the ability of PDT to act as a photosensitizer carrier and induced cell death in CCSCs.
format Article
id doaj-art-fe79ba2da1a445168ddf1f5c1cc118ff
institution OA Journals
issn 1999-4923
language English
publishDate 2025-04-01
publisher MDPI AG
record_format Article
series Pharmaceutics
spelling doaj-art-fe79ba2da1a445168ddf1f5c1cc118ff2025-08-20T02:18:15ZengMDPI AGPharmaceutics1999-49232025-04-0117446910.3390/pharmaceutics17040469Targeted Delivery of Chlorin-e6-Loaded Carbon Nanotube-Based Nanobiocomposite to Cancer Stem Cells for Enhanced Photodynamic TherapyPrabhavathi Sundaram0Sathish Sundar Dhilip Kumar1Heidi Abrahamse2Laser Research Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg 2028, South AfricaLaser Research Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg 2028, South AfricaLaser Research Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg 2028, South Africa<b>Background:</b> Globally, colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third-most diagnosed cancer among males and the second-most diagnosed cancer among females. In cancer, stem cells are a subset of neoplastic cells capable of tumorigenesis and exhibit properties like normal stem cells. Moreover, they are resistant to conventional cancer treatments and can repopulate the tumor following treatment. Cancer cells are stimulated to undergo apoptosis by photodynamic therapy (PDT), which involves a light source, a photosensitizer, and reactive oxygen species. <b>Methods:</b> In this study, colon cancer stem cells were isolated from colon cancer cells and characterized using flow cytometry and immunofluorescence techniques. To treat colon cancer stem cells (CCSCs), single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) were coupled with hyaluronic acid (HA) and loaded with chlorin-e6 (Ce6). Nanobiocomposite toxicity was assessed using CCSCs with two fluences of 5 J/cm<sup>2</sup> and 10 J/cm<sup>2</sup>. The cellular changes were observed at 24 and 48 h using microscopy, <b>Results:</b> LDH cytotoxicity assay, and cell death induction by annexin propidium iodide assay. An intracellular analysis of reactive oxygen species (ROS) detected oxidative stress within CCSCs. <b>Conclusions:</b> Overall, the results showed that the newly synthesized nanobiocomposite enhanced the ability of PDT to act as a photosensitizer carrier and induced cell death in CCSCs.https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4923/17/4/469hyaluronic acidchlorin e6colon cancer stem cellsphotodynamic therapysingle-walled carbon nanotubes
spellingShingle Prabhavathi Sundaram
Sathish Sundar Dhilip Kumar
Heidi Abrahamse
Targeted Delivery of Chlorin-e6-Loaded Carbon Nanotube-Based Nanobiocomposite to Cancer Stem Cells for Enhanced Photodynamic Therapy
Pharmaceutics
hyaluronic acid
chlorin e6
colon cancer stem cells
photodynamic therapy
single-walled carbon nanotubes
title Targeted Delivery of Chlorin-e6-Loaded Carbon Nanotube-Based Nanobiocomposite to Cancer Stem Cells for Enhanced Photodynamic Therapy
title_full Targeted Delivery of Chlorin-e6-Loaded Carbon Nanotube-Based Nanobiocomposite to Cancer Stem Cells for Enhanced Photodynamic Therapy
title_fullStr Targeted Delivery of Chlorin-e6-Loaded Carbon Nanotube-Based Nanobiocomposite to Cancer Stem Cells for Enhanced Photodynamic Therapy
title_full_unstemmed Targeted Delivery of Chlorin-e6-Loaded Carbon Nanotube-Based Nanobiocomposite to Cancer Stem Cells for Enhanced Photodynamic Therapy
title_short Targeted Delivery of Chlorin-e6-Loaded Carbon Nanotube-Based Nanobiocomposite to Cancer Stem Cells for Enhanced Photodynamic Therapy
title_sort targeted delivery of chlorin e6 loaded carbon nanotube based nanobiocomposite to cancer stem cells for enhanced photodynamic therapy
topic hyaluronic acid
chlorin e6
colon cancer stem cells
photodynamic therapy
single-walled carbon nanotubes
url https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4923/17/4/469
work_keys_str_mv AT prabhavathisundaram targeteddeliveryofchlorine6loadedcarbonnanotubebasednanobiocompositetocancerstemcellsforenhancedphotodynamictherapy
AT sathishsundardhilipkumar targeteddeliveryofchlorine6loadedcarbonnanotubebasednanobiocompositetocancerstemcellsforenhancedphotodynamictherapy
AT heidiabrahamse targeteddeliveryofchlorine6loadedcarbonnanotubebasednanobiocompositetocancerstemcellsforenhancedphotodynamictherapy