Antitumor Effect of Poly(Ethylene Glycol)-Modified Fullerene

Abstract Water-insoluble fullerene (C60) was chemically modified with poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) to solubilize it in water. The C60-PEG conjugates, upon injecting intravenously, were accumulated in the tumor to a greater extent than in the normal tissue and exhibited prolonged C60 retention at the tumor tissue. Conjugate injection followed by light irradiation significantly suppressed the volume increase of tumor. We conclude that the PEG-modified C60 has a high potentiality as a. drug of photodynamic tumor therapy.