Evaluation of photostability, cellular uptake, photochemical mechanism and photodynamic efficacy of Rose bengal incorporated mesoporous silica nanoparticles

Cancer is a complex disease that poses a significant global threat to human health. Traditional treatment methods, may not be effective in all cases and often result in numerous side effects. Photodynamic therapy (PDT) utilizes photosensitizing agents and light of specific wavelengths to selectively kill malignant cells without harm other tissue. However, the photosensitizing agents used in PDT often face challenges such as poor solubility in blood or low lipophilicity, which causes aggregation or inefficient accumulation of these agents in tumor tissue. To address these issues, drug delivery systems like mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) are employed to deliver the photosensitizing agents to the tumor site efficiently. In this study, Rose Bengal, a photosensitive compound, was incorporated with MSNs and tested on the A-549 lung cancer cell line in terms of photostability, cellular uptake, photochemical mechanism, and photodynamic efficacy. The results showed that Rose Bengal-incorporated MSNs produced more singlet oxygen compared to free Rose Bengal. Additionally, the photostability of Rose Bengal was enhanced when incorporated into the mesoporous silica matrix. The cellular uptake did not show a significant change. However, it should be kept in mind that these experiments were conducted on an in vitro model and the real effect of this drug delivery strategy would be revealed in in vivo conditions, where circulation and extravasation take place. Future research will focus on investigating the efficacy of this method on in vivo models and modifying the nanoparticles to further enhance the efficacy of the proposed treatment accordingly.