Photodynamic therapy via FRET following bioorthogonal click reaction in cancer cells

Abstract

Longer wavelength light (650-800nm) is desired to treat large tumors in photodynamic therapy (PDT). However, shorter wavelength light is needed in PDT for thin tumors, not to cause undesirable local side effects. We proposed a strategy for stepwise optical imaging and PDT using a bioorthogonal click chemistry and fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET). We prepared azidyl rhodamine (Rh-N3, clickable FD) and cyclooctynyl phthalocyanine [Pc-(DIBAC), clickable PS], with which, here, we demonstrate that the non-catalytic click chemistry is rapid and efficient in cancer cells and FRET from a fluorescence dye (FD) to a photosensitizer (PS) is sufficient to generate enough singlet oxygen killing cancer cells by using shorter wavelength light.