Light-responsive CO2 bubble-generating polymeric micelles for tumor cell ablation.

We report a novel UV-responsive polymeric micelle system based on coumarin ester for tumor treatment. The micelle itself can generate CO2 under UV exposure owing to the photolysis of (7-diethylaminocoumarin-4-yl)methyl (DEACM). Without loading any drugs, the micelle causes significant cell death under 8 s UV irradiation in vitro. This is the first time to use light to decompose the nano-carrier itself into CO2 bubbles for tumor cell ablation.