RT Journal Article
T1 A third-generation rhodium-based nanophotosensitizer for precision photodynamic cancer therapy
A1 Machuca Marcos, Andrés
A1 Álvarez-Fernández García, Roberto
A1 Aragoneses Cazorla, Guillermo
A1 Castillo Lluva, Sonia
A1 Vallet Regí, María Dulce Nombre
A1 González Ortiz, Blanca
A1 García Calvo, Estefanía
A1 Luque García, José Luis
AB Rhodium-based nanocomposites represent an unexplored class of functional materials with potential in biomedicine. Here, we present RhNPs-MSNs-Tf, a third-generation nanophotosensitizer composed of rhodium nanoparticles (RhNPs) confined within mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) and surface-modified with transferrin (Tf) to enable receptor-mediated tumor targeting. This represents the first silica-based nanocomposite integrating RhNPs for biomedical applications ever reported in literature. The hybrid structure is obtained through a robust multistep synthetic route and extensively characterized, confirming uniform RhNPs incorporation, preserved mesoporosity, colloidal stability and excellent biocompatibility. Under near-infrared (NIR) irradiation, RhNPs-MSNs-Tf efficiently generates singlet oxygen (1O2). Cellular studies demonstrate selective stress and energy metabolism pathways as underlying mechanisms. In vivo evaluation using the chicken chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) model shows significant tumor growth inhibition without apparent systemic toxicity. By combining structural precision, efficient photodynamic response and active targeting capability, RhNPs-MSNs-Tf establishes a versatile, light-activated nanoplatform. These findings highlight the promise of rhodium-based nanocomposites as next-generation functional materials for tumor-selective photodynamic therapy (PDT).
PB Elsevier
YR 2026
FD 2026-01-18
LK https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/133236
UL https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/133236
LA eng
NO Machuca A, Alvarez-Fernandez Garcia R, Garcia-Garcia A, et al. A third-generation rhodium-based nanophotosensitizer for precision photodynamic cancer therapy. Journal of Colloid and Interface Science 2026;713:140143. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcis.2026.140143
NO Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades (España)
DS Docta Complutense
RD 21 mar 2026