Melanoma is a highly aggressive cancer that is unresponsive to many traditional therapies. Recently, photodynamic therapy has shown promise in its treatment as an adjuvant therapy. However, conventional photosensitizers are limited by poor solubility and limited accumulation within target tissue. Here, we report the delivery of a porphyrin-based photosensitizer encapsulated within a plant viral nanoparticle. Specifically, we make use of the hollow, high aspect ratio nanotubes formed by the nucleoprotein components of tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) to encapsulate the drug for delivery and targeting of cancer cells. The cationic photosensitizer was successfully and stably loaded into the interior channel of TMV via electrostatic interactions. Cell uptake and efficacy were evaluated using a model of melanoma. The resulting TMV-photosensitizer exhibited improved cell uptake and efficacy when compared to free photosensitizer, making it a promising platform for improved therapy of melanoma.
Keywords: melanoma; photodynamic therapy; tobacco mosaic virus; viral nanoparticles.