Conjugated polymer nanoparticles as multi-modal photodynamic therapy probes

Several properties of the developed PTB7 nanoparticles will be discussed, including their size, stability, fluorescent properties and generation of reactive oxygen species. Some cellular assays employing our conjugated polymer nanoparticles will also be presented, to highlight the potential of these nanoparticles as a versatile photodynamic therapy platform.

I. INTRODUCTION

PDT is a clinically approved therapeutic technique for cancer and other diseases.¹ Compared with conventional treatment such as chemotherapy, surgery and radiation, PDT has many advantages such as no invasiveness, no drug resistance, and appropriateness to a broad spectrum of cancer species.^2,3 It has become one of the new types of cancer treatments and has attracted a lot of attention.