Nobuaki Tanaka (M2), Department of Chemical System Engineering, received the Best students award of the 84th SCEJ annual meeting

Nobuaki Tanaka(M2), Department of Chemical System Engineering, received the Best students award of the 84th SCEJ annual meeting.

<About awarded research>

Title: Development of photosensitizer loaded organic semiconductor polymer / gold nanoparticle assemblies activatable with tumor environment

Photodynamic therapy is an anti-tumor treatment based on the injection of photosensitizers followed by the photo irradiation. Singlet oxygen is generated from photosensitizers by photo irradiation, inducing cytotoxicity. However, conventional photosensitizers have drawbacks, such as damage to normal tissue via exposure to sunlight. In this study, we encapsulated photosensitizers into fluorescent semiconducting polymer nanoparticles, and then assembled them with gold nanoparticle as photo-reaction quenchers. By designing the assemblies to disassemble in response to tumor environment, we demonstrated that the photo-activity and cytotoxicity can be exhibited only in tumor environment. By this concept, efficient photo dynamic therapy with minimum side effect to normal tissue is expected to be achieved.

<your impression & future plan>

I appreciate Associate Prof. Taichi Ito and Assistant Prof. Seiichi Ohta for their super vision. I will expand this experience into my new challenge in industrial field.