Citation: 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[J]. Chinese Chemical Letters, ;2025, 36(11): 111133. doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2025.111133 shu

Light-harvesting pigment-binding protein-mimicking carbon dots for photodynamic therapy

Quanxin Ning ^{c, 1} ,
Yidan Zhang ^{c, 1} ,
Huayi Sun ^{a, b, 1} ,
Xin Zhao ^{a, b} ,
Haodong Zhang ^{a, b} ,
Feng Cui ^c ,
Xiaochun Xie ^c ,
Fangman Chen ^{d, *,} ,
Wen Sun ^{e, *,} ,
Hong Zhang ^{a, b, *,}

a.
Department of Colorectal Oncology, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang 110004, China
b.
Department of General Surgery, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang 110004, China
c.
National Engineering Research Center for Tissue Restoration and Reconstruction, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China
d.
State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macau 999078, China
e.
State Key Laboratory of Fine Chemicals, School of Chemical Engineering, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, China

chenfangman@hotmail.com

sunwen@dlut.edu.cn

haojiubujian1203@sina.cn

Received Date: 26 December 2024
Revised Date: 11 March 2025
Accepted Date: 20 March 2025
Available Online: 20 March 2025

Figures(5)

Porphyrin-based photodynamic therapy (PDT) has emerged as a promising approach in clinic. However, its therapeutic efficacy is remarkedly constrained due to the intrinsic hydrophobicity of porphyrins and their limited absorption in the near-infrared (NIR) region. Inspired by the unique supramolecular structures and optical properties of pigment-binding proteins during photosynthesis, we herein developed a carbon dot derived from porphyrin and amino acid mixture (TPP-AA-CDs) for efficient PDT. Having precisely tuned the optical properties of TPP-AA-CDs in the range of visible to NIR region, such a pigment-binding protein-mimicking system leveraged the hydrophilic amino acid-hybrid framework as a light-harvesting scaffold to support the hydrophobic porphyrin centre. TPP-AA-CDs exhibited enhanced light-harvesting efficiency in the presence of amino and hydroxyl residues from amino acid side chains, which facilitate the incorporation of porphyrin within the framework. Among the variants, histidine-derived carbon dots (TPP-H-CDs) performed markedly improved PDT efficiency with high biocompatibility, leading to accelerated wound healing and boosted antitumor effects under NIR light irradiation. This light-harvesting pigment-binding protein-mimicking framework that scaffolded the porphyrin, offered a promising strategy for developing the next-generation of efficient NIR-absorbing materials with potential clinical translations.
- Photodynamic therapy,
- Pigment-binding protein,
- Light-harvesting,
- Carbon dots,
- Porphyrin,
- Amino acid
1. [1]
  T.J. Dougherty, C.J. Gomer, B.W. Henderson, et al., J. Natl. Cancer Inst. 90 (1998) 889–905. doi: 10.1093/jnci/90.12.889
2. [2]
  Z. Zhou, J. Song, L. Nie, X. Chen, Chem. Soc. Rev. 45 (2016) 6597–6626. doi: 10.1039/C6CS00271D
3. [3]
  J. Xu, J. Xu, T. Shi, et al., Adv. Mater. 35 (2023) e2207890. doi: 10.1002/adma.202207890
4. [4]
  M. Dong, R. Tang, J. Li, et al., Chin. Chem. Lett. 35 (2024) 108539. doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2023.108539
5. [5]
  F. Ruan, H. Fang, F. Chen, et al., Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 63 (2024) e202317943. doi: 10.1002/anie.202317943
6. [6]
  M. Ethirajan, Y. Chen, P. Joshi, R.K. Pandey, Chem. Soc. Rev. 40 (2011) 340–362. doi: 10.1039/B915149B
7. [7]
  R. Hu, X. Zhai, Y. Ding, et al., Chin. Chem. Lett. 33 (2022) 2715–2720. doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2021.08.110
8. [8]
  S.S. Lucky, K.C. Soo, Y. Zhang, Chem. Rev. 115 (2015) 1990–2042. doi: 10.1021/cr5004198
9. [9]
  Y. Zhou, X. Liang, Z. Dai, Nanoscale 8 (2016) 12394–12405. doi: 10.1039/C5NR07849K
10. [10]
  M.A. Rajora, J.W.H. Lou, G. Zheng, Chem. Soc. Rev. 46 (2017) 6433–6469. doi: 10.1039/C7CS00525C
11. [11]
  J. Tian, B. Huang, M.H. Nawaz, W. Zhang, Coordin. Chem. Rev. 420 (2020) 213410. doi: 10.1016/j.ccr.2020.213410
12. [12]
  J. Chen, Y. Zhu, S. Kaskel, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 60 (2021) 5010–5035. doi: 10.1002/anie.201909880
13. [13]
  J.M. Park, K.I. Hong, H. Lee, W.D. Jang, Acc. Chem. Res. 54 (2021) 2249–2260. doi: 10.1021/acs.accounts.1c00114
14. [14]
  E.J. Boekema, B. Hankamer, D. Bald, et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A. 92 (1995) 175–179. doi: 10.1073/pnas.92.1.175
15. [15]
  A. Ben-Shem, F. Frolow, N. Nelson, Nature 426 (2003) 630–635. doi: 10.1038/nature02200
16. [16]
  X. Li, O. Björkman, C. Shih, et al., Nature 403 (2000) 391–395. doi: 10.1038/35000131
17. [17]
  J. Sun, J. Zhang, M. Zhang, et al., Nat. Commun. 3 (2012) 1139. doi: 10.1038/ncomms2152
18. [18]
  C. Fiankor, J. Nyakuchena, R.S.H. Khoo, et al., J. Am. Chem. Soc. 143 (2021) 20411-20148. doi: 10.1021/jacs.1c10291
19. [19]
  Z. Wang, F. Chen, Y. Cao, et al., Adv. Mater. 36 (2024) e2314197. doi: 10.1002/adma.202314197
20. [20]
  F. Chen, F. Ruan, X. Xie, et al., Adv. Mater. 36 (2024) e2402966. doi: 10.1002/adma.202402966
21. [21]
  D. Shao, F. Zhang, F. Chen, et al., Adv. Mater. 32 (2020) e2004385. doi: 10.1002/adma.202004385
22. [22]
  M. Fang, B. Wang, X. Qu, et al., Chin. Chem. Lett. 35 (2024) 108423. doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2023.108423
23. [23]
  L. Cao, M. Zan, F. Chen, et al., Carbon 194 (2022) 42–51. doi: 10.1016/j.carbon.2022.03.058
24. [24]
  H. Cai, X. Wu, L. Jiang, et al., Chin. Chem. Lett. 35 (2024) 108946. doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2023.108946
25. [25]
  M. Pourmadadi, E. Rahmani, M. Rajabzadeh-Khosroshahi, J. Drug Deliv. Sci. Tec. 80 (2023) 104156. doi: 10.1016/j.jddst.2023.104156
26. [26]
  F. Du, L. Yang, L. Wang, J. Mater. Chem. B 11 (2023) 8117–8135. doi: 10.1039/d3tb01329d
27. [27]
  J. Zhong, X. Chen, M. Zhang, et al., Chin. Chem. Lett. 31 (2020) 769–773. doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2020.01.007
28. [28]
  L. Wang, B. Wang, E. Liu, et al., Chin. Chem. Lett. 33 (2022) 4111–4115. doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2022.01.042
29. [29]
  C. Li, J. Huang, L. Yuan, et al., Theranostics 19 (2023) 3064–3102. doi: 10.7150/thno.80579
30. [30]
  M.M. Hussain, W.U. Khan, F. Ahmed, et al., Chem. Eng. J. 465 (2023) 143010. doi: 10.1016/j.cej.2023.143010
31. [31]
  J. Lu, T. Shi, C. Shi, et al., Research 6 (2023) 0204. doi: 10.34133/research.0204
32. [32]
  Q. Li, J. Fan, H. Mu, et al., Chin. Chem. Lett. 35 (2024) 108947. doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2023.108947
33. [33]
  R. Pathak, V.D. Punetha, S. Bhatt, M. Punetha, J. Mater. Sci. 58 (2023) 6419–6443. doi: 10.1007/s10853-023-08408-4
34. [34]
  H. Liu, X. Zhong, Q. Pan, et al., Coordin. Chem. Rev. 498 (2024) 215468. doi: 10.1016/j.ccr.2023.215468
35. [35]
  J. Yang, W. Chen, X. Liu, et al., Mater. Res. Bull. 89 (2017) 26–32. doi: 10.1016/j.materresbull.2017.01.013
36. [36]
  K.D.W. Vollett, H.M. Cheng, Org. Biomol. Chem. 22 (2024) 6308–6320. doi: 10.1039/d4ob00704b
37. [37]
  H. Ding, S.B. Yu, J.S. Wei, H.M. Xiong, ACS Nano 10 (2016) 484–491. doi: 10.1021/acsnano.5b05406
38. [38]
  F. Chen, H. Huang, F. Zhang, et al., Adv. Mater. (2024) e2413385.
39. [39]
  L. Ai, Z. Song, M. Nie, et al., Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 62 (2023) e202217822. doi: 10.1002/anie.202217822
40. [40]
  B. Wang, S. Lu, Matter 5 (2022) 110–149. doi: 10.1016/j.matt.2021.10.016
41. [41]
  V.B. Kumar, S.K. Mirsky, N.T. Shaked, E. Gazit, ACS Nano 18 (2024) 2421–2433. doi: 10.1021/acsnano.3c10792
42. [42]
  Z. Wu, F. Cui, H. Li, et al., Sensor. Actuat. B: Chem. 398 (2024) 134684. doi: 10.1016/j.snb.2023.134684
43. [43]
  F. Arcudi, L. Đorđević, M. Prato, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 55 (2016) 2107–2112. doi: 10.1002/anie.201510158
44. [44]
  N. Parvin, V. Kumar, S.W. Joo, T.K. Mandal, Nanomaterials 14 (2024) 1085. doi: 10.3390/nano14131085
45. [45]
  B.M. Amos-Tautua, S.P. Songca, O.S. Oluwafemi, Molecules 24 (2019) 2456. doi: 10.3390/molecules24132456
46. [46]
  K.A.D.F. Castro, N.M. M Moura, F. Figueira, et al., Int. J. Mol. Sci. 20 (2019) 2522. doi: 10.3390/ijms20102522
47. [47]
  F. Cui, F. Chen, X. Xie, et al., Chin. Chem. Lett. 35 (2024) 108681. doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2023.108681
48. [48]
  R. Boscencu, N. Radulea, G. Manda, et al., Molecules 28 (2023) 1149. doi: 10.3390/molecules28031149
49. [49]
  L. Li, S. He, B. Liao, et al., Research 7 (2024) 0364. doi: 10.34133/research.0364
50. [50]
  Z. Tian, H. Li, Z. Liu, et al., Curr. Treat. Option. On. 24 (2023) 1274–1292. doi: 10.1007/s11864-023-01120-0
1. [1]
  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
2. [2]
  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
3. [3]
  Yupeng Liu , Hui Wang , Songnan Qu . Review on near-infrared absorbing/emissive carbon dots: From preparation to multi-functional application. Chinese Chemical Letters, 2025, 36(5): 110618-. doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.110618
4. [4]
  Chen Lu , Zefeng Yu , Jing Cao . Advancement in porphyrin/phthalocyanine compounds-based perovskite solar cells. Chinese Journal of Structural Chemistry, 2024, 43(3): 100240-100240. doi: 10.1016/j.cjsc.2024.100240
5. [5]
  Yuan Liu , Boyang Wang , Yaxin Li , Weidong Li , Siyu Lu . Understanding excitonic behavior and electroluminescence light emitting diode application of carbon dots. Chinese Chemical Letters, 2025, 36(2): 110426-. doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.110426
6. [6]
  Chaoqun Ma , Yuebo Wang , Ning Han , Rongzhen Zhang , Hui Liu , Xiaofeng Sun , Lingbao Xing . Carbon dot-based artificial light-harvesting systems with sequential energy transfer and white light emission for photocatalysis. Chinese Chemical Letters, 2024, 35(4): 108632-. doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2023.108632
7. [7]
  Wu-Jian Long , Yang Yu , Chuang He . A novel and promising engineering application of carbon dots: Enhancing the chloride binding performance of cement. Chinese Chemical Letters, 2024, 35(6): 108943-. doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2023.108943
8. [8]
  Qiang Li , Jiangbo Fan , Hongkai Mu , Lin Chen , Yongzhen Yang , Shiping Yu . Nucleus-targeting orange-emissive carbon dots delivery adriamycin for enhanced anti-liver cancer therapy. Chinese Chemical Letters, 2024, 35(6): 108947-. doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2023.108947
9. [9]
  Liwen Wang , Boyang Wang , Siyu Lu , Shubo Lv , Xiaoli Qu . High quantum yield yellow emission carbon dots for the construction of blue light blocking films. Chinese Chemical Letters, 2025, 36(2): 110497-. doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.110497
10. [10]
  Ran Cen , Yan-Yan Tang , Li-Xia Chen , Zhu Tao , Xin Xiao . A novel supramolecular assembly based on nor-seco-cucurbit[10]uril for spermine sensing and artificial light-harvesting. Chinese Chemical Letters, 2025, 36(1): 109744-. doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.109744
11. [11]
  Qian Ren , Xue Dai , Ran Cen , Yang Luo , Mingyang Li , Ziyun Zhang , Qinghong Bai , Zhu Tao , Xin Xiao . A cucurbit[8]uril-based supramolecular phosphorescent assembly: Cell imaging and sensing of amino acids in aqueous solution. Chinese Chemical Letters, 2024, 35(12): 110022-. doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.110022
12. [12]
  Wen-Wen Xu , Yue-Xiu Qin , Xiao-Yong Yu , Lin-Nan Jiang , Heng-Yi Zhang , Yong Chen , Yu Liu . Multipath cascade light harvesting for multicolor luminescence based on macrocyclic sulfonatocalix[4]arene. Chinese Chemical Letters, 2025, 36(11): 111068-. doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2025.111068
13. [13]
  Changhui Yu , Peng Shang , Huihui Hu , Yuening Zhang , Xujin Qin , Linyu Han , Caihe Liu , Xiaohan Liu , Minghua Liu , Yuan Guo , Zhen Zhang . Evolution of template-assisted two-dimensional porphyrin chiral grating structure by directed self-assembly using chiral second harmonic generation microscopy. Chinese Chemical Letters, 2024, 35(10): 109805-. doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.109805
14. [14]
  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
15. [15]
  Ping Wang , Chunmao Chen , Hongwei Ren , Erhong Duan . A review of carbon dots in synthesis strategies, photoluminescence mechanisms, and applications in wastewater treatment. Chinese Chemical Letters, 2025, 36(9): 110725-. doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.110725
16. [16]
  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
17. [17]
  Qiang Fu , Shouhong Sun , Kangzhi Lu , Ning Li , Zhanhua Dong . Boron-doped carbon dots: Doping strategies, performance effects, and applications. Chinese Chemical Letters, 2024, 35(7): 109136-. doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2023.109136
18. [18]
  Chenghao Liu , Xiaofeng Lin , Jing Liao , Min Yang , Min Jiang , Yue Huang , Zhizhi Du , Lina Chen , Sanjun Fan , Qitong Huang . Carbon dots-based dopamine sensors: Recent advances and challenges. Chinese Chemical Letters, 2024, 35(12): 109598-. doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.109598
19. [19]
  Quan Zhang , Shunjie Xing , Jingqian Han , Li Feng , Jianchun Li , Zhaosheng Qian , Jin Zhou . Organic pollutant sensing for human health based on carbon dots. Chinese Chemical Letters, 2025, 36(1): 110117-. doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.110117
20. [20]
  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

Get Citation

PDF

XML

Metrics

PDF Downloads(0)
Abstract views(21)
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