Synthesis of conjugated polymer nanoparticles with core-shell structure for cell imaging and photodynamic cancer therapy

Conjugated polymer nanoparticles were successfully capped with a commercially available triblock copolymer Pluronic F127® to form stable nanoparticles with the potential for photodynamic therapy (PDT) of cancer cells. PDT is known as an effective, simple treatment method without the need for surgery. Investigations on the particle structure revealed that the nanoparticles were fabricated with a core-shell structure of ~192 nm. The PDT effects of the nanoparticles on HeLa cancer cells were investigated via cell imaging and cytotoxicity tests. The nanoparticles were biocompatible and were easily internalized by HeLa cells. Moreover, the nanoparticles efficiently generated reactive oxygen species to kill cancer cells under UV irradiation. Therefore, the nanoparticles have promising applications for cancer cell imaging and therapy.