Topical Nanomedicines For Leishmaniasis And Skin Cancer Based on Photodynamic And Photothermal Therapies

MAZA VEGA, DANIELA; LILLO, CRISTIAN; LEMOS, MARTIN; AGUAYO FRÍAS, TAÍS; ASTORGA, LAURA PATRICIA; ALVIRA, FERNANDO C.; ALONSO, SILVIA DEL VALLE; CALIENNI, MARIA NATALIA; MONTANARI, JORGE

Erzerum

Congreso; World Congress on Applied Nanotechnology (W-CAN 2021); 2021

Atatürk University

Tegumentary leishmaniasis and skin cancer are skin diseases that require new approaches for theimprovement of current treatments. Our group focuses on combining lipid matrices for trespassing thestratum corneum impermeable barrier, with photochemistry-based therapies for toxicity orhyperthermia to kill cells in a very narrow area.For leishmaniasis, intending to reach the parasite nests into skin macrophages, we work on one handwith carbon quantum dots (CQD), obtained from the most popular infusion in Argentina, named yerbamate (Ilex paraguariensis), and from the most popular infusion in Turkey, named çay (Camelliasinensis). CQD are produced from the vegetable residues from infusion by a top-down method (1). Weanalyzed their fluorescence and absorbance spectra, for choosing the best excitation and emissionwindows to generate a photodynamic effect, in which reactive oxygen species (superoxide anion andsinglet oxygen) that are toxic for parasites, are produced after exposure to visible radiation. We showour results on the detection of both species. Other physicochemical characterization parameters ofour CQD (size by dynamic light scattering, TEM, Zeta potential) are also presented. We include the CQDon ultradeformable ethosomes, that transiently break the barrier function of the stratum corneum,allowing the photodynamic effectors to enter the skin towards the viable epidermis and dermis. Weuse fluorescent labels to follow the ethosomes on their path through the skin (2). On the other hand,another strategy intended for leishmaniasis treatment is the use of ultradeformable ethosomes as atransport system for the dye methylene blue (3), also for generating reactive species of oxygen afterirradiation with visible light. In both strategies, we plan to test the photodynamic action in vitro onleishmania parasite cultures.For skin cancer, we started working on other kinds of CQD, also from vegetable sources ?i.e., fruitjuices (4)?, aiming to produce an increment of local temperature after irradiation to a level thatdiminishes cell viability, which is known as photothermal therapy. In this case, after obtaining the CQD,a folate moiety is added to the nano-entities for specific tumor targeting (5), and then also loaded intoultradeformable ethosomes for skin application.