Citation: Yu Si, Xueying Jiang, Zhigang Gao, Yuan Liang, Wen Sun, Engin U. Akkaya, Lei Wang. NIR light-activated programmable drug immobilization and oxygen modulation for enhanced photodynamic and chemo-therapy[J]. Chinese Chemical Letters, ;2026, 37(3): 111195. doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2025.111195 shu

NIR light-activated programmable drug immobilization and oxygen modulation for enhanced photodynamic and chemo-therapy

Yu Si ^a ,
Xueying Jiang ^a ,
Zhigang Gao ^a ,
Yuan Liang ^{b, *,} ,
Wen Sun ^a ,
Engin U. Akkaya ^a ,
Lei Wang ^{a, *,}

a.
Cancer Hospital of Dalian University of Technology, Department of Pharmaceutical Engineering, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, China
b.
Department of Thoracic Oncology, Cancer Hospital of Dalian University of Technology, Liaoning Cancer Hospital & Institute, Shenyang 110042, China

liangyuan@cancer-hosp-ln-cmu.com

leiwang@dlut.edu.cn

Received Date: 11 February 2025
Revised Date: 3 April 2025
Accepted Date: 9 April 2025
Available Online: 16 April 2025

Figures(6)

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) has attracted various attentions for cancer treatment, yet current strategies suffer many limitations including short retention time of photosensitizers, exacerbation of hypoxia due to oxygen consumption and restricted release of singlet oxygen under hypoxic conditions or in the absence of light. We present here a promising cancer therapy which not only reduces the frequency of drug administration and overall drug dosage through near-infrared (NIR) light-triggered drug immobilization in tumor sites, but also enhances anticancer efficacy by synergistic treatments through PDT and chemotherapeutic drug camptothecin. More importantly, endoperoxides generated in situ can not only persistently release singlet oxygen even in the absence of light, thereby augmenting PDT efficacy, but also release triplet oxygen to alleviate tumor hypoxia exacerbated by PDT. Its enhanced retention time was demonstrated both in vitro (96 h) and in vivo (240 h), with the duration adjustable by varying the light source. Notably, a single administration (3 mg/mL, 300 µL) during the entire treatment under low-power red light irradiation (11 mW/cm²) resulted in efficient suppression of the tumor growth and pulmonary metastasis. This NIR light-triggered long-acting platforms could be utilized for design of long-term disease imaging and therapy tools, and the in situ generated endoperoxide is promising for self-regulation of tumor hypoxia.
- BODIPY,
- Photochemistry,
- Near-infrared light,
- Photodynamic therapy,
- Synergistic cancer therapy
1. [1]
  Y. Qin, M. Huang, C. Huang, et al., Chin. Chem. Lett. 35 (2024) 109171.
2. [2]
  B. Yin, X. Liu, Z. Li, et al., Chin. Chem. Lett. 36 (2025) 110119.
3. [3]
  R. Langer, D. Peer, J.M. Karp, et al., Nat. Nanotech. 2 (2007) 751–760.
4. [4]
  X. Li, S. Lee, J. Yoon, Chem. Soc. Rev. 47 (2018) 1174–1188. doi: 10.1039/c7cs00594f
5. [5]
  R. Wang, M. He, Z. Zhang, et al., Smart Mol. 2 (2024) e20240010.
6. [6]
  S. Mura, J. Nicolas, P. Couvreur, Nat. Mater. 12 (2013) 991–1003. doi: 10.1038/nmat3776
7. [7]
  T.C. Pham, V.N. Nguyen, Y. Choi, S. Lee, J. Yoon, Chem. Rev. 121 (2021) 13454–13619. doi: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.1c00381
8. [8]
  Z. Zhao, T. Chen, J. Li, et al., Smart Mol. 3 (2025) e20240049. doi: 10.1002/smo.20240049
9. [9]
  J.N. Liu, W. Bu, J. Shi, Chem. Rev. 117 (2017) 6160–6224. doi: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.6b00525
10. [10]
  B. Zhang, L. Lin, J. Mao, et al., Chin. Chem. Lett. 34 (2023) 108518.
11. [11]
  E.B. Rankin, A.J. Giaccia, Science 352 (2016) 175–180. doi: 10.1126/science.aaf4405
12. [12]
  X. Song, L. Feng, C. Liang, K. Yang, Z. Liu, Nano Lett. 16 (2016) 6145–6153. doi: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.6b02365
13. [13]
  T. Liang, B. Zhang, Z. Xing, et al., Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 60 (2021) 11464–11473. doi: 10.1002/anie.202102180
14. [14]
  J. Kim, H.R. Cho, H. Jeon, et al., J. Am. Chem. Soc. 139 (2017) 10992–10995. doi: 10.1021/jacs.7b05559
15. [15]
  G. Yang, L. Xu, Y. Chao, et al., Nat. Commun. 8 (2017) 902.
16. [16]
  H. Wu, L. Wang, Y. Wang, et al., Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 134 (2022) e202210249.
17. [17]
  L. Wang, L. Tang, Y. Liu, et al., Chem. Commun. 58 (2022) 1902–1905. doi: 10.1039/d1cc05810j
18. [18]
  L. Wang, H. Wu, Z. Liu, et al., Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 63 (2024) e202408473.
19. [19]
  G. Li, R. Zhou, W. Zhao, et al., Research 2020 (2020) 5351848.
20. [20]
  S. Kuang, F. Wei, J. Karges, et al., J. Am. Chem. Soc. 144 (2022) 4091–4101. doi: 10.1021/jacs.1c13137
21. [21]
  W. Xiao, P. Wang, C. Ou, et al., Biomaterials 183 (2018) 1–9.
22. [22]
  W. Fudickar, T. Linker, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 57 (2018) 12971–12975. doi: 10.1002/anie.201806881
23. [23]
  J. Das, Chem. Rev. 111 (2011) 4405–4417. doi: 10.1021/cr1002722
24. [24]
  L. Wang, A. Ishida, Y. Hashidoko, M. Hashimoto, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 56 (2017) 870–873. doi: 10.1002/anie.201610371
25. [25]
  J.B. Geri, J.V. Oakley, T. Reyes-Robles, et al., Science 367 (2020) 1091–1097. doi: 10.1126/science.aay4106
26. [26]
  M. Hashimoto, Y. Hatanaka, Eur. J. Org. Chem. 2008 (2008) 2513–2523. doi: 10.1002/ejoc.200701069
27. [27]
  P. Kleiner, W. Heydenreuter, M. Stahl, V.S. Korotkov, S.A. Sieber, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 56 (2017) 1396–1401. doi: 10.1002/anie.201605993
28. [28]
  C. Ash, M. Dubec, K. Donne, T. Bashford, Laser Med. Sci. 32 (2017) 1909–1918. doi: 10.1007/s10103-017-2317-4
29. [29]
  Y. Yang, Y. Chen, P. Pei, et al., Nat. Nanotech. 18 (2023) 1195–1204. doi: 10.1038/s41565-023-01422-2
30. [30]
  T. Wang, S. Wang, Z. Liu, et al., Nat. Mater. 20 (2021) 1571–1578.
31. [31]
  S.L. Zhang, P. Liu, L. Li, et al., ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces 15 (2023) 40280–40291. doi: 10.1021/acsami.3c08397
32. [32]
  R.K. Jain, T. Stylianopoulos, Nat. Rev. Clin. Oncol. 7 (2010) 653–664. doi: 10.1038/nrclinonc.2010.139
33. [33]
  A. Banstola, K. Poudel, S. Pathak, et al., ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces 13 (2021) 22955–22969. doi: 10.1021/acsami.1c03594
34. [34]
  L.M. Herda, D.R. Hristov, M.C. Lo Giudice, E. Polo, K.A. Dawson, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 139 (2017) 111–114. doi: 10.1021/jacs.6b12297
35. [35]
  K. Abstiens, M. Gregoritza, A.M. Goepferich, ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces 11 (2019) 1311–1320. doi: 10.1021/acsami.8b18843
36. [36]
  A. Kamkaew, S.H. Lim, H.B. Lee, et al., Chem. Soc. Rev. 42 (2013) 77–88.
37. [37]
  J. Tian, B. Li, C. Wu, et al., J. Am. Chem. Soc. 146 (2024) 16458–16468. doi: 10.1021/jacs.4c02500
38. [38]
  J. Zou, L. Li, J. Zhu, et al., Adv. Mater. 33 (2021) 2103627.
39. [39]
  X. Li, N. Kwon, T. Guo, Z. Liu, J. Yoon, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 57 (2018) 11522–11531. doi: 10.1002/anie.201805138
40. [40]
  M. Matsumoto, M. Yamada, N. Watanabe, Chem. Commun. (2005) 483–485. doi: 10.1039/b414845b
41. [41]
  D.M. Livingston, A.L. Kung, S. Wang, J.M. Klco, W.G. Kaelin, Nat. Med. 6 (2000) 1335–1340.
42. [42]
  X. Liang, M. Chen, P. Bhattarai, S. Hameed, Z. Dai, ACS Nano 14 (2020) 13569–13583. doi: 10.1021/acsnano.0c05617
43. [43]
  D.M. Xi, N. Xu, X. Xia, et al., Adv. Mater. 34 (2022) 2106797.
44. [44]
  D. Huang, Y. Zou, H. Huang, et al., Adv. Mater. 36 (2024) 2313460.
45. [45]
  S. Skylaki, O. Hilsenbeck, T. Schroeder, Nat. Biotechnol. 34 (2016) 1137–1144. doi: 10.1038/nbt.3713
46. [46]
  Y. Zhang, X. Lv, Y. Wang, et al., Smart Mol. 2 (2024) e20240031.
1. [1]
  Yuyao Guan , Baoting Yu , Jun Ding , Tingting Sun , Zhigang Xie . BODIPY photosensitizers for antibacterial photodynamic therapy. Chinese Chemical Letters, 2025, 36(8): 110645-. doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.110645
2. [2]
  Xuejian Xing , Pan Zhu , E Pang , Shaojing Zhao , Yu Tang , Zheyu Hu , Quchang Ouyang , Minhuan Lan . D-A-D-structured boron-dipyrromethene with aggregation-induced enhanced phototherapeutic efficiency for near-infrared fluorescent and photoacoustic imaging-guided synergistic photodynamic and photothermal cancer therapy. Chinese Chemical Letters, 2024, 35(10): 109452-. doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2023.109452
3. [3]
  Qihang Wu , Hui Wen , Wenhai Lin , Tingting Sun , Zhigang Xie . Alkyl chain engineering of boron dipyrromethenes for efficient photodynamic antibacterial treatment. Chinese Chemical Letters, 2024, 35(12): 109692-. doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.109692
4. [4]
  Leichen Wang , Anqing Mei , Na Li , Xiaohong Ruan , Xu Sun , Yu Cai , Jinjun Shao , Xiaochen Dong . Aza-BODIPY dye with unexpected bromination and high singlet oxygen quantum yield for photoacoustic imaging-guided synergetic photodynamic/photothermal therapy. Chinese Chemical Letters, 2024, 35(6): 108974-. doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2023.108974
5. [5]
  Hao Cai , Xiaoyan Wu , Lei Jiang , Feng Yu , Yuxiang Yang , Yan Li , Xian Zhang , Jian Liu , Zijian Li , Hong Bi . Lysosome-targeted carbon dots with a light-controlled nitric oxide releasing property for enhanced photodynamic therapy. Chinese Chemical Letters, 2024, 35(4): 108946-. doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2023.108946
6. [6]
  Quanxin Ning , Yidan Zhang , Huayi Sun , Xin Zhao , Haodong Zhang , Feng Cui , Xiaochun Xie , Fangman Chen , Wen Sun , Hong Zhang . Light-harvesting pigment-binding protein-mimicking carbon dots for photodynamic therapy. Chinese Chemical Letters, 2025, 36(11): 111133-. doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2025.111133
7. [7]
  Wei Su , Xiaoyan Luo , Peiyuan Li , Ying Zhang , Chenxiang Lin , Kang Wang , Jianzhuang Jiang . Phthalocyanine self-assembled nanoparticles for type Ⅰ photodynamic antibacterial therapy. Chinese Chemical Letters, 2024, 35(12): 109522-. doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.109522
8. [8]
  Du Liu , Yuyan Li , Hankun Zhang , Benhua Wang , Chaoyi Yao , Minhuan Lan , Zhanhong Yang , Xiangzhi Song . Three-in-one erlotinib-modified NIR photosensitizer for fluorescence imaging and synergistic chemo-photodynamic therapy. Chinese Chemical Letters, 2025, 36(2): 109910-. doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.109910
9. [9]
  Di Zhang , Xu He , Xiaoying Kang , Xue Meng , Ji Qi , Zhifang Wu , Ningbo Li . A photo-accelerated nanoplatform for image-guided synergistic chemo-photodynamic therapy. Chinese Chemical Letters, 2025, 36(12): 110942-. doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2025.110942
10. [10]
  Yihao Zhang , Yang Jiao , Xianchao Jia , Qiaojia Guo , Chunying Duan . Highly effective self-assembled porphyrin MOCs nanomaterials for enhanced photodynamic therapy in tumor. Chinese Chemical Letters, 2024, 35(5): 108748-. doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2023.108748
11. [11]
  Yu Qin , Mingyang Huang , Chenlu Huang , Hannah L. Perry , Linhua Zhang , Dunwan Zhu . O₂-generating multifunctional polymeric micelles for highly efficient and selective photodynamic-photothermal therapy in melanoma. Chinese Chemical Letters, 2024, 35(7): 109171-. doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2023.109171
12. [12]
  Yiling Li , Zekun Gao , Xiuxiu Yue , Minhuan Lan , Xiuli Zheng , Benhua Wang , Shuang Zhao , Xiangzhi Song . FRET-based two-photon benzo[a] phenothiazinium photosensitizer for fluorescence imaging-guided photodynamic therapy. Chinese Chemical Letters, 2024, 35(7): 109133-. doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2023.109133
13. [13]
  Wenkai Liu , Yanxian Hou , Weijian Liu , Ran Wang , Shan He , Xiang Xia , Chengyuan Lv , Hua Gu , Qichao Yao , Qingze Pan , Zehou Su , Danhong Zhou , Wen Sun , Jiangli Fan , Xiaojun Peng . Se-substituted pentamethine cyanine for anticancer photodynamic therapy mediated using the hot band absorption process. Chinese Chemical Letters, 2024, 35(12): 109631-. doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.109631
14. [14]
  Liangliang Jia , Ye Hong , Xinyu He , Ying Zhou , Liujiao Ren , Hongjun Du , Bin Zhao , Bin Qin , Zhe Yang , Di Gao . Fighting hypoxia to improve photodynamic therapy-driven immunotherapy: Alleviating, exploiting and disregarding. Chinese Chemical Letters, 2025, 36(2): 109957-. doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.109957
15. [15]
  Baoli Yin , Xinlin Liu , Zhe Li , Zhifei Ye , Youjuan Wang , Xia Yin , Sulai Liu , Guosheng Song , Shuangyan Huan , Xiao-Bing Zhang . Ratiometric NIR-Ⅱ fluorescent organic nanoprobe for imaging and monitoring tumor-activated photodynamic therapy. Chinese Chemical Letters, 2025, 36(5): 110119-. doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.110119
16. [16]
  Xiangrong Pan , Xixi Hou , Yuhang Du , Zhixin Pang , Shiyang He , Lan Wang , Jianxue Yang , Longfei Mao , Jianhua Qin , Haixia Wu , Baozhong Liu , Zhan Zhou , Lufang Ma , Chaoliang Tan . Solvent-mediated synthesis of 2D In-TCPP MOF nanosheets for enhanced photodynamic antibacterial therapy. Chinese Chemical Letters, 2025, 36(12): 110536-. doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.110536
17. [17]
  Hui Guo , Wen-Wen Li , Mei-Yin Wu , Jian-Bo Hu , Jun Wang , Yun Liu , Yang Zou , Chu-Luo Yang , Kai-Lu Zheng . Indolizine-benzophenone hybrid acceptors enable TADF materials for bioimaging and photodynamic therapy in living cells. Chinese Chemical Letters, 2026, 37(1): 111721-. doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2025.111721
18. [18]
  Mengyao Gao , Shan Sun , Hengwei Lin , Cheng Yang . A multifunctional carbon dot-based nanoplatform for antibacterial therapy: Integrating photodynamic, photothermal, and gas treatments. Chinese Chemical Letters, 2026, 37(2): 111055-. doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2025.111055
19. [19]
  Haoran Hou , Siwen Wei , Yutong Shao , Yingnan Wu , Gaobo Hong , Jing An , Jiarui Tian , Jianjun Du , Fengling Song , Xiaojun Peng . A 690-nm-excitable type Ⅰ & Ⅱ photosensitizer based on biotinylation of verteporfin for photodynamic therapy of deep-seated orthotopic breast tumors. Chinese Chemical Letters, 2025, 36(6): 110315-. doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.110315
20. [20]
  Peng Liu , Shengli Zhang , Tingting Zhang , Yu Si , Ziang Liu , Xiao Qian , Yingxu Wu , Yuan Liang , Wen Sun , Engin U. Akkaya , Lei Wang . Near-infrared light activatable nanoplatform for proteins labeling, enrichment and visualization in living systems. Chinese Chemical Letters, 2026, 37(1): 110966-. doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2025.110966

Get Citation

PDF

XML

Metrics

PDF Downloads(0)
Abstract views(17)
HTML views(3)

通讯作者: 陈斌, bchen63@163.com

1.
沈阳化工大学材料科学与工程学院沈阳 110142