Hydroxyl-Modified Fullerene C70(OH)8 Induces Pyroptosis for Cancer Therapy

Abstract

Fullerene (C70), a promising new photosensitizer, has faced challenges in its biological applications due to its extreme hydrophobicity. In order to enhance the solubility of fullerene (C70) and facilitate its biological applications, we synthesized a novel hydroxyl-modified fullerene compound (C70(OH)8) with excellent photosensitizing properties. The introduction of hydroxyl groups allows it to self-assemble with DSPE-PEG(2000), therefore, we prepared its nanomedicines(C70(OH)8@NP). Under white light irradiation, C70(OH)8@NP stimulates the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), Furthermore, results has demonstrated that a substantial amount of ROS can also be generated within cells, resulting in cell death. We found that C70(OH)8@NP can induce both apoptosis and pyroptosis in HeLa cells and identified its mechanism of cell death through the activation of Caspase 3/Gasdermin E pathways. Importantly, C70(OH)8@NP demonstrates significant anti-tumor activity in a nude mouse tumor-bearing model. These results highlight the potential of novel fullerene compounds as photodynamic therapy agents.