Nanoparticles, in sizes under 200 nm, exclusively accumulate into malignant lesions with decreased exposure to other vital organs. This typical property, known as passive targeting, has been utilized for cancer drug targeting. Porphyrins produce a singlet oxygen under UV exposure to induce tumour cell death.
In this study, hematoporphyrin attached albumin nanoparticles (HP-ANP) were fabricated and their therapeutic application for lung cancer was evaluated. HP-ANP were further functionalized with gamma-emitting nuclides (99mTc) to demonstrate in vivo imaging and pharmacokinetic properties through scintigraphic imaging. Here, Chang-Koo Shim and colleagues in South Korea have illustrated the possible application of HP-ANP for cancer targeted imaging and therapy.
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Su-Geun Yang, Ji-Eun Chang, Byungchul Shin, Sanghyun Park, Kun Na and Chang-Koo Shim, J. Mater. Chem., 2010, DOI:10.1039/C0JM01544J
