Low-density lipoprotein reconstituted by pyropheophorbide cholesteryl oleate as target-specific photosensitizer

Zheng G, Li H, Zhang M, Lund-Katz S, Chance B, Glickson JD

Bioconjugate chemistry, 2002

DOI: 10.1021/bc025516h

To target tumors overexpressing low-density lipoprotein receptors (LDLr), a pyropheophorbide cholesterol oleate conjugate was synthesized and successfully reconstituted into the low-density lipoprotein (LDL) lipid core. Laser scanning confocal microscopy studies demonstrated that this photosensitizer-reconstituted LDL can be internalized via LDLr by human hepatoblastoma G₂ (HepG₂) tumor cells.