Peptide directed phthalocyanine-gold nanoparticles for selective photodynamic therapy of EGFR overexpressing cancers

Zoë Rachael Goddard; Andrew Michael Beekman; Marco M D Cominetti; Maria A O'Connell; Isabelle Chambrier; Michael J Cook; María J Marín; David A Russell; Mark Searcey

doi:10.1039/d0md00284d

Peptide directed phthalocyanine-gold nanoparticles for selective photodynamic therapy of EGFR overexpressing cancers

RSC Med Chem. 2020 Nov 19;12(2):288-292. doi: 10.1039/d0md00284d.

Authors

Zoë Rachael Goddard¹, Andrew Michael Beekman¹, Marco M D Cominetti¹, Maria A O'Connell¹, Isabelle Chambrier², Michael J Cook², María J Marín², David A Russell², Mark Searcey¹

Affiliations

¹ School of Pharmacy, University of East Anglia Norwich Research Park Norwich NR4 7TJ UK M.Searcey@uea.ac.uk.
² School of Chemistry, University of East Anglia Norwich Research Park Norwich NR4 7TJ UK.

Abstract

Gold nanoparticles, covalently functionalised with the photosensitiser C11Pc and PEG, were actively targeted towards epidermal growth factor receptor overexpressing cancers using the peptide FITC-βAAEYLRK. Selective phototoxicity was observed at nanomolar concentrations with minimal dark toxicity.