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A Molecular Dynamics Study of a Photodynamic Sensitizer for Cancer Cells: Inclusion Complexes of γ-Cyclodextrins with C<sub>70</sub>
oleh: Giuseppina Raffaini, Fabio Ganazzoli
Format: | Article |
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Diterbitkan: | MDPI AG 2019-09-01 |
Deskripsi
Photodynamic therapy is an emerging treatment of tumor diseases. The complexes with γ-cyclodextrins (γ-CD) and fullerenes or their derivatives can be used as photosensitizers by direct injection into cancer cells. Using molecular mechanics and molecular dynamics methods, the stability and the geometry of the 2:1 complexes [(γ-CD)<sub>2</sub>/C<sub>70</sub>] are investigated analyzing the differences with the analogous C<sub>60</sub> complexes, studied in a previous theoretical work and experimentally found to be much less efficient in cancer therapy. The inclusion complex of γ-CD and C<sub>70</sub> has a 2:1 stoichiometry, the same as C<sub>60</sub>, but is significantly less stable and displays an unlike arrangement. In vacuo, mimicking an apolar solvent, the complex is compact, whereas in water the two γ-CDs encapsulate C<sub>70</sub> forming a relatively stable complex by interacting through their primary rims, however exposing part of C<sub>70</sub> to the solvent. Other higher-energy complexes with the γ-CDs facing different rims can form in water, but in all cases part of the hydrophobic C<sub>70</sub> surface remains exposed to water. The stability and arrangement of these peculiar amphiphilic inclusion complexes having non-covalent interactions in water can be an important key for cancer therapy to enhance both the solubilization and the fullerene insertion into liposomes or cell membranes.