A tumor-targeted activatable phthalocyanine-tetrapeptide-doxorubicin conjugate for synergistic chemo-photodynamic therapy

Chemo-photodynamic therapy is a promising strategy for cancer treatments. However, it remains a challenge to develop a chemo-photodynamic therapeutic agent with little side effect, high tumor-targeting, and efficient synergistic effect simultaneously. Herein, we report a zinc(II) phthalocyanine (ZnPc)-doxorubicin (DOX) prodrug linked with a fibroblast activation protein (FAP)-responsive short peptide with the sequence of Thr-Ser-Gly-Pro for chemo-photodynamic therapy. In the conjugate, both photosensitizing activity of ZnPc and cytotoxicity of DOX are inhibited obviously. However, FAP-triggered separation of the photosensitizer and DOX can enhance fluorescence emission, singlet oxygen generation, dark- and photo-cytotoxicity significantly, and lead to a synergistic anticancer efficacy against HepG2 cells. The prodrug can also be specifically and efficiently activated in tumor tissue of mice. Thus, this prodrug shows great potential for clinical application in chemo-photodynamic therapy. (C) 2016 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.