Design Principles of Hybrid Nanomaterials for Radiotherapy Enhanced by Photodynamic Therapy |
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Authors: | Valeria Secchi Angelo Monguzzi Irene Villa |
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Affiliation: | 1.Department of Materials Science, University of Milano-Bicocca, Via R. Cozzi 55, 20125 Milan, Italy;2.NANOMIB, Center for Biomedical Nanomedicine, University of Milano-Bicocca, P.zza Ateneo Nuovo 1, 20126 Milan, Italy;3.Institute of Physics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, FZU, Cukrovarnická 10/112, 16200 Prague, Czech Republic |
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Abstract: | Radiation (RT) remains the most frequently used treatment against cancer. The main limitation of RT is its lack of specificity for cancer tissues and the limited maximum radiation dose that can be safely delivered without damaging the surrounding healthy tissues. A step forward in the development of better RT is achieved by coupling it with other treatments, such as photodynamic therapy (PDT). PDT is an anti-cancer therapy that relies on the light activation of non-toxic molecules—called photosensitizers—to generate ROS such as singlet oxygen. By conjugating photosensitizers to dense nanoscintillators in hybrid architectures, the PDT could be activated during RT, leading to cell death through an additional pathway with respect to the one activated by RT alone. Therefore, combining RT and PDT can lead to a synergistic enhancement of the overall efficacy of RT. However, the involvement of hybrids in combination with ionizing radiation is not trivial: the comprehension of the relationship among RT, scintillation emission of the nanoscintillator, and therapeutic effects of the locally excited photosensitizers is desirable to optimize the design of the hybrid nanoparticles for improved effects in radio-oncology. Here, we discuss the working principles of the PDT-activated RT methods, pointing out the guidelines for the development of effective coadjutants to be tested in clinics. |
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Keywords: | radiotherapy photodynamic therapy nanoscintillators singlet oxygen nanoparticles energy sharing |
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