Design of photoactivatable drug delivery systems made of lipids and porphyrins or lipid-porphyrin conjugates for the controlled release of active pharmaceutical ingredients

Overview & Synopsis

The aim of this work was to develop an innovative stimulus-responsive delivery system. Based on lipid vesicles, it allows the controlled release, by light, of a hydrophilic anti-cancer substance encapsulated in their aqueous core. Once illuminated, porphyrin molecules inserted into the lipidic bilayer, generate singlet oxygen which oxidizes the unsaturated acyl chains of the phospholipids. This induces an increase in the permeability of the liposomes and the release of their cargo. We first made a selection of phospholipids and porphyrins to build the system. Our experimental study could be correlated with results of molecular dynamics simulations. The whole work highlighted the importance of the depth of insertion of porphyrin into the lipid bilayer and its proximity to the double bond of phospholipids. But it also showed the limits of this system. We then developed two new molecules, derived from natural phospholipids, to which pheophorbide a was coupled. The conjugates were able to form self-assembled vesicles but were unstable and quickly aggregated. We therefore associated these conjugates with classical lipids (DSPC, cholesterol) and analyzed the properties of these mixtures. We highlighted photothermal properties of the designed systems, capable of inducing a temperature rise of 14 °C. The generation of heat, responsible for a greater fluidity of the lipid bilayer, subsequently promoted the encapsulated cargo release. Finally, the two synthesized conjugates showed a phototoxic activity (PDT), with selectivity towards esophageal cancer cells. These new molecules therefore offer many opportunities for the development of multimodal, bio-inspired and biodegradable systems, for the delivery of a drug under the effect of light.