A macrophage-targeted theranostic nanoparticle for biomedical applications

The antimacrophage therapeutic strategies are becoming more prevalent and these include systemic modulation of macrophage activity and localized photodynamic therapy(PDT). PDT is a clinical approach which utilizes injectable photosensitizers and a subsequent photoangioplasty to debulk atherosclerotic lesions. To increase the efficacy of PDT for the active targeting of cell surface receptors or other biomolocules and these agents have been encapsulated within polymeric nanoparticles. The efficacy of PDT in killing local macrophage can be augmented by conjugation of photosensitizers to macrophage avid nanoparticles. In order to impart upon the nanoparticles, the ability to generate singlet oxygen, a potent photosensitizer, was covalently conjugated to the primary amines of the MFNP. The result shows that the conjugation of a potent photosenitizer to a magnetofluorescent nanoparticle allows for highly efficient killing of murine and human macrophages in vitro.