PLGA nanocomposites loaded with verteporfin and gold nanoparticles for enhanced photodynamic therapy of cancer cells

In this paper, PLGA nanocomposites were developed by incorporating a photosensitizer, verteporfin and gold nanoparticles into the polymeric matrix and utilised for enhanced photodynamic therapy of cancer cells. Both enhanced fluorescence and ¹O₂ generation from verteporfin were observed in this new formulation under both 425 nm LED and 405 nm laser illumination. A maximum enhancement factor of 2.5 for fluorescence and 1.84 for ¹O₂ generation was obtained when the molar ratio of gold : VP was 5 : 1 and excited at 425 nm, compared with PLGA doped with verteporfin alone. The experiment results could be explained by the local electric field enhancement of gold nanoparticles. Furthermore, improved therapeutic efficacy in human pancreatic cancer cells, PANC-1, was also demonstrated by using this new formulation following light exposure, indicating the utility of these nanocomposites for enhanced photodynamic therapy.