porphysome

Porphysomes are a class of self-assembled nanostructures composed of porphyrin-lipid subunits that form a bilayer vesicle similar to a liposome. Developed primarily at the University Health Network (Toronto) by Dr. Gang Zheng's lab, these nanoparticles are inherently theranostic, integrating multimodal imaging capabilities (fluorescence, photoacoustic, and PET when radiolabeled with isotopes like Copper-64) with therapeutic functions such as photodynamic therapy (PDT). In the context of cardiovascular disease, porphysomes can be functionalized with peptides like R4F to target scavenger receptor class B member 1 (SR-B1) on macrophages within atherosclerotic plaques. This targeting facilitates the identification of plaques via imaging and exerts athero-protective effects by promoting cholesterol efflux and reducing inflammatory responses. Clinical development is also exploring their utility in fluorescence-guided surgery and PDT for head and neck and lung cancers.

Other names

Porphyrin-lipid nanoparticles