Synthesis of multifunctional zinc(II) phthalocyanine and evaluation of in vitro cytotoxic activity for potential photodynamic therapy and targeting efficiency in prostate cancer

Abstract

In this study, we aimed to synthesize a novel biotin-functionalized star-shaped poly(2-ethyl-2-oxazoline) (PEtOx) polymer with a zinc (II) phthalocyanine core (ZnPc-[PEtOx]4-Biotin) to enhance therapeutic efficacy through active targetability. ZnPc-[PEtOx]4 was prepared via cationic ring-opening polymerization, followed by conjugation to biotin and BODIPY using "click chemistry." The resulting Zn (II) phthalocyanine-functionalized polymer was characterized using GPC, FTIR, UV-vis, NMR, and fluorescence spectroscopy. ZnPc-[PEtOx]4-Biotin demonstrated an active targeting effect on prostate cancer cells (22Rv1, LNCaP, and PC-3), with higher affinity compared to in vitro cytotoxicity analysis against normal prostate epithelial cells, PNT1A, and prostate cancer cells (22Rv1, LNCaP, and PC-3) revealed low cytotoxicity, dependent on concentration. These findings suggest that the developed Zn(II) phthalocyanine-functionalized polymeric photosensitizer holds promise as an effective strategy for prostate cancer therapy, leveraging specific target recognition mechanisms.