Acid-responsive metallo-supramolecular micelles for synergistic chemo-photodynamic therapy

Due to the molecular complexity of many diseases, combination therapy is becoming increasingly important for a better long-term prognosis and to decrease side effects. In this presented work, a kind of AB(2) Y-shape supramolecular micelles based on the metal-coordinated interaction between histidine and iron-tetraphenylporphyrins (Fe-TPP) had been successfully prepared which exhibited excellent acid-responsivity in acidic aqueous solution (pH < 6, similar to tumor micro-environment). To verify the application for drug delivery, doxorubicin was loaded at neutral. Then the anticancer efficiency was evaluated in vivo towards HeLa and MCF-7 cells. The obtained date indicated that the loaded drug released at tumor acid condition because the micelles disassembled. Importantly, the existence of Fe-TPP being as photosensitizer obviously improved the anticancer efficiency, confirming that synergistic chemo-photodynamic therapy could effectively enhance cellular proliferation inhibition.