Development and characterization of nanoparticle systems coupled to photosensitizers and their use in photodynamic therapy

DELL'ARCIPRETE, MARIA LAURA; FIORENTINI LORENA; REID, LARA; DICELIO, LELIA; GONZALEZ MÓNICA

Encuentro; XI Encuentro Latinoamericano de Fotoquimica y Fotobiologia; 2012

Silicon nanoparticles (SiNPs) have attracted an increasing amount of attention over the last decades, as they combine size-dependent optical properties with the richness and stability of silicon surface chemistry. SiNP have become a new class of fluorescent probes for many biological applications . Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a promising method for cancer treatment. The combination of light and a singlet oxygen (1O2) photosensitizer allows selective destruction of tumors. The phtalocyanines (Pc) are considered as second generation sensitizers with a maximum absorption in the range 630 - 700 nm with absorption coefficients higher than 1 x 105 M-1 cm-1