Targeted photodynamic therapy of pancreatic cancer using fullerene-based nanodrugs

Date

2025-9

Author

İnce, Hayri Kerim

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Fullerene-based nanoparticles can regulate reactive oxygen species (ROS) within the tumor microenvironment and induce cancer cell death. However, research on the application of fullerene-based nanoparticles is limited, and the role of fullerene nanocomposites in pancreatic cancer treatment remains unknown. In this study, water-soluble fullerene (C60WS) was synthesized and doped with CeO₂, which generates ROS under hypoxia, to create CeO₂@C60. These nanoparticles were utilized to enhance ROS regulation and selectively target the hypoxic pancreatic cancer microenvironment with the help of Photodynamic Therapy(PDT). Synthesized nanoparticles were characterized by DLS/ELS, UV-Vis spectroscopy, FTIR, and SEM/TEM, and applied to pancreatic cancer cell lines BxPC-3 and SW-1990 in combination with PDT to improve treatment specificity and catalytic activity, for the first time in the literature. Proteomics analysis was conducted to reveal the effects of these nanoparticles on the cells. Cell viability assays revealed IC50 values of 40.4 µM (BxPC-3) and 6.1 µM (SW-1990) for CeO₂@C60, and 13.2 µM (BxPC-3) and 6.5 µM (SW-1990) for C60WS upon PDT. In the dark, C60WS promoted cell growth at this concentration, while CeO₂@C60 shows potent cytotoxicity with an IC50 of 8.9 µM. Proteomics analysis of SW-1990 cells treated with CeO₂@C60 revealed that PDT activates post-translational modification and protein folding pathways. Under light, RNA regulation, transcription, and DNA damage response (DDR) pathways were induced in the control group. In the absence of light and nanoparticles, pathways related to cell migration and reactive nitrogen species (RNS) were activated. These findings provide new insights into the impact of CeO₂@C₆₀ and PDT application on the pancreatic cancer cells.

Subject Keywords

Nanodrugs, Fullerene, Photodynamic Therapy, Pancreatic Cancer, Proteomics

URI

https://hdl.handle.net/11511/115685

Collections

Graduate School of Natural and Applied Sciences, Thesis