Diselenide-Containing Hyperbranched Polymer with Light-Induced Cytotoxicity

A light-induced cytotoxicity system was fabricated using active diselenide/porphyrin-containing hyperbranched polymer aggregates in aqueous solution through emulsification. When the nanoparticles were irradiated with visible light, O-I(2) was produced by the porphyrin photosensitizers in the system, which cleaved the diselenide bonds in the polymer chains and disassembled the nanosystem. Interestingly, the oxidized products exhibited cytotoxicity to the MDA-MB 231cell line without using extra anticancer drugs, which endowed the system with potential visible light-induced antitumor activity. In combination with photodynamic therapy, it is greatly anticipated that better anticancer efficacy can be achieved with this system.