Fluorinated-functionalized hyaluronic acid nanoparticles for enhanced photodynamic therapy of ocular choroidal melanoma by ameliorating hypoxia

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a method for killing cancer cells by employing reactive singlet oxygen (1O2). However, the inherent hypoxia and oxygen consumption in tumors during PDT lead to a deficient oxygen supply, which in turn hinder the photodynamic efficacy. To overcome this issue, fluorinated-functionalized polysaccharide-based nanocomplexes were prepared by anchoring perfluorocarbons (PFCs) and pyropheophorbide a (Ppa) onto the polymer chains of hyaluronic acid (HA) to deliver O2 in hypoxia area. These amphiphilic conjugates can self-assemble into micelles and its application in PDT is evaluated. Due to the high oxygen affinity of perfluorocarbon segments, and the tumor-targeting nature of HA, the photodynamic effect of the oxygen self-carrying micelles is remarkably enhanced, which is confirmed by increased generation of 1O2 and elevated phototoxicity in vitro and in vivo. These results emphasize the promising potential of polysaccharide-based nanocomplexes for enhanced PDT of Ocular Choroidal Melanoma.