Light triggering of drug carrier systems for targeted delivery and controlled release
Expected Results
The project has as main objective the photochemical and photophysical characterization of novel drug compounds of interest for site specific and targeted delivery. This will be performed by modern and advanced laser spectroscopic techniques as time resolved fluorescence, phosphorescence spectroscopy, transient absorption spectroscopy, and Raman spectroscopy. Studies will be performed by time resolved laser spectroscopy techniques as fluorescence, phosphorescence, transient absorption, and Raman. These techniques have the advantages of selectivity, high sensitivity, and real time monitoring of the products and intermediates during irradiation. Fundamental data on the interacting components implied in the complex structure as quantum yield of oxygen singlet generation, fluorescence lifetime, triplet quantum yield and lifetime, and reaction rates, are important in order to optimize drug therapy by developing new drug delivery systems or therapeutic regime. The data have to be provided for further in vivo testing of the compounds, to establish the optimum protocol for preclinical tests. Proper light dosage, wavelength, energy, for irradiation which avoid the photodegradation of photosensitizers and the drugs that has to be released are parameters which are very important for irradiation protocols.
