Hyaluronic Acid Nanoparticles Based on a Conjugated Oligomer Photosensitizer: Target-Specific Two-Photon Imaging, Redox-Sensitive Drug Delivery, and Synergistic Chemo-Photodynamic Therapy

Self-assembled hyaluronic acid (HA) nanoparticles have been extensively investigated as anticancer therapeutic agents due to the biocompatibility, biodegradability, and active targeting characteristics of HA. However, many HA nanoparticles are restricted to the applications in drug delivery for chemotherapy or lack effective imaging agents. Hence, we developed the camptothecin (CPT)-loaded HA-SS-BFVPBT nanoparticles (HSBNPs) as a multifunctional platform for two-photon imaging and synergistic chemo-photodynamic therapy at the same time. A novel conjugated oligomer photosensitizer, BFVPBT, which was conjugated onto HA through the redox-responsive disulfide linkage (SS), could not only provide a hydrophobic domain for the formation of nanoparticles and drug entrapment but also act as a two-photon photosensitizer that can be directly excited and simultaneously used in two-photon imaging and photodynamic therapy (PDT). HeLa cells overexpressing the HA receptor (CD44) were used for in vitro studies, which prov...