{Reference Type}: Journal Article
{Title}: Transport of Zinc-Phthalocyanine to Cancer Cells Using Myoglobin-Albumin Fusion Protein for Photodynamic Therapy.
{Author}: Yamada T;Funamoto M;Takada R;Morita Y;Komatsu T;
{Journal}: Chembiochem
{Volume}: 0
{Issue}: 0
{Year}: 2024 Jun 26
{Factor}: 3.461
{DOI}: 10.1002/cbic.202400329
{Abstract}: Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a noninvasive approach to cancer treatment, wherein cell death is initiated by singlet oxygen (1O2) production via energy transfer from excited photosensitizers to ground-state O2. Effective clinical photosensitizers necessitate water solubility for in vivo administration. Hydrophobic dyes, such as phthalocyanines, cannot be used directly as photosensitizers. Herein, we synthesized a myoglobin-(human serum albumin) fusion protein reconstituted with zinc-phthalocyanine (ZnPc), termed ZnPcMb-HSA. The photophysical properties of ZnPcMb-HSA closely resemble those of ZnPc-substituted Mb. Notably, ZnPc dissociates from ZnPcMb-HSA and selectively accumulates within cancer cells, while the protein components remain extracellular. Treatment of four distinct cell lines with ZnPcMb-HSA, followed by red-light irradiation, effectively induced apoptosis. The half-maximal inhibitory concentrations (IC50) against these cancer cell lines ranged between 0.1-0.5 μM. Reconstituted Mb-HSA emerges as a promising carrier for transporting various water-insoluble porphyrinoid photosensitizer to target cancer cells in PDT applications.