Oligo(styryl)benzenes liposomal AIE-dots for bioimaging and phototherapy in an in vitro model of prostate cancer

Whilst the development of advanced organic dots with aggregation-induced emission characteristics (AIE-dots) is being intensively studied, their clinical translation in efficient biotherapeutic devices has yet to be tackled. This study explores the synergistic interplay of oligo(styryl)benzenes (OSBs), potent fluorogens with an increased emission in the aggregate state, and Indocyanine green (ICG) as dual Near Infrared (NIR)-visible fluorescent nanovesicles with efficient reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation capacity for cancer treatment using photodynamic therapy (PDT). The co-loading of OSBs and ICG in different nanovesicles has been thoroughly investigated. The nanovesicles’ physicochemical properties were manipulated via molecular engineering by modifying the structural properties of the lipid bilayer and the number of oligo(ethyleneoxide) chains in the OSB structure. Diffusion Ordered Spectroscopy (DOSY) NMR and spectrofluorometric studies revealed key differences in the structure of the vesicles and the arrangement of the OSB and ICG in the bilayer. The in vitro assessment of these OSB-ICG nanovesicles revealed that the formulations can increase the temperature and generate ROS after photoirradiation, showing for the first time their potential as dual photothermal/photodynamic (PTT/PDT) agents in the treatment of prostate cancer. Our study provides an exciting opportunity to extend the range of applications of OSB derivates to potentiate the toxicity of phototherapy in prostate and other types of cancer.