Current methodologies towards developing selective drugs and nanoparticle-based therapies rely on non-specific drugs or metal nanoparticle, and a selective drug-delivery system (colloids and vesicles coated with desired antibodies or proteins) to deliver therapeutics to desired cell sites. Typically these non-specific drugs, once spatially delivered, kill the targeted cells (e.g. tumor or pathogen) and even healthy cells in close proximity. Here we present a novel nanoparticle-based therapy where the nanoparticles selectively target specific cell phenotypes and biological processes, based on their biochemical potentials. Using a specific light induced targeting mechanism, these Light-Activated Reactive Species (LARS) have the capability to target and kill specific-pathogens upon illumination with visible or infrared light, without affecting the growth of other cells. Furthermore, the growth of selected cells and the targeted pathogens is unaffected in dark, and we can trigger these designed LARS species externally with light to demonstrate bactericidal properties. To demonstrate the efficacy of the specific design of these LARS species, we will also show both proliferation and cell death using two different LARS in the same targeted cell phenotypes. Using Escherichia coli cells and HEK293 mammalian cells as model systems, we will demonstrate selective LARS which either specifically kill or proliferate E. coli growth, while leaving HEK293 cells unaffected in individual cultures as well as a co-culture of E. coli and HEK293 cells. These unprecedented results demonstrate the ability to tune the biochemical potential using LARS nanoparticles, allow targeting selective cell phenotypes over a range of organisms and enable a new class of antimicrobials and targeted organism-specific therapeutics.

Novel light-triggered therapeutics for selective cell phenotypes

249th National Meeting (2015)

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.