Novel chemi-dynamic nanoparticles as a light-free photodynamic therapeutic system for cancer treatment

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a treatment modality, in which photosensitizers are activated by light of appropriate wavelength to convert molecular oxygen from triplet state (³O₂) to singlet (¹O₂) that kills nearby cancer cells. However, the clinical application of PDT is limited to treat tumors on or just below the skin or the lining of internal organs because the light needed cannot pass through more than 1 cm of tissues. Here, we report chemi-dynamic nanoparticles (CDNP) as a light-free photodynamic therapeutic system based on peroxalate chemiluminescence. Photosensitizers are excited by the energy generated from hydrogen peroxide-mediated degradation of peroxalate to generate singlet oxygen to kill cancer cells. CDNP kill cancer cells without external light and hold potential as new anticancer drugs. [Figure not available: see fulltext.].