Photocleavable Visible Light-Triggered Anthraquinone-Derived Water-Soluble Block Copolymer for Peroxynitrite Generation in Cancer Therapy

ACS Macro Lett. 2024 Mar 19;13(3):288-295. doi: 10.1021/acsmacrolett.3c00728. Epub 2024 Feb 18.

Abstract

We report a facile stimuli-responsive strategy to generate reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (ROS and RNS) in the biological milieu from a photocleavable water-soluble block copolymer under visible light irradiation (427 nm, 2.25 mW/cm2). An anthraquinone-based water-soluble polymeric nitric oxide (NO) donor (BCPx-NO) is synthesized, which exhibits NO release in the range of 40-65 μM within 10 h of photoirradiation with a half-life of 30-103 min. Additionally, BCPx-NO produces peroxynitrite (ONOO-) and singlet oxygen (1O2) under photoirradiation. To understand the mechanism of NO release and photolysis of the functional group under blue light, we prepared a small-molecule anthraquinone-based N-nitrosamine (NOD). The cellular investigation of the effect of spatiotemporally controlled ONOO- and 1O2 generation from the NO donor polymeric nanoparticles in a triple negative breast adenocarcinoma (MDA-MB-231) under visible light irradiation (white light, 5.83 mW/cm2; total dose 31.5 J/cm2) showed an IC50 of 0.6 mg/mL. The stimuli-responsive strategy using a photolabile water-soluble block copolymer employed to generate ROS and RNS in a biological setting widens the horizon for their potential in cancer therapy.

MeSH terms

  • Anthraquinones / therapeutic use
  • Humans
  • Light
  • Neoplasms* / drug therapy
  • Nitric Oxide / therapeutic use
  • Oxygen / therapeutic use
  • Peroxynitrous Acid* / therapeutic use
  • Polymers / therapeutic use
  • Reactive Nitrogen Species / therapeutic use
  • Reactive Oxygen Species / therapeutic use

Substances

  • Peroxynitrous Acid
  • Reactive Oxygen Species
  • Polymers
  • Reactive Nitrogen Species
  • Oxygen
  • Nitric Oxide
  • 9,10-anthraquinone
  • Anthraquinones