Self-assembled organic nanorods for dual chemo-photodynamic therapies.

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) and chemotherapy have been extensively developed as effective approaches against cancer. Herein, we constructed organic nanorods by rational co-assembly of photosensitizer, di-iodinated borondipyrromethene (BDP-I 2 ), and chemical anticancer drug, paclitaxel (PTX). The physico- and photochemical properties of the obtained nanorods were carefully investigated. BDP-I 2 was selected for its high singlet oxygen ( 1 O 2 ) quantum yields. And the corresponding 1 O 2 generation ability and photodynamic effect were evaluated both in vitro and in vivo . The accelerated endosomal escape of the nanorods induced by the photodynamic effect enhanced the chemotherapeutic efficacy of PTX. We believe that this synergetic nanomedicine represents a new development for antitumor chemophotodynamic therapy.