SUNY Polytechnic Institute Assistant Professor of Chemistry Dr. Vijay Ramalingam and peers recently published research titled, “Supramolecular Enhancement of BODIPY Singlet Oxygen Generation Using Bile Salt Micelles,” in the Austin Journal of Analytical and Pharmaceutical Chemistry. The significant research could lead to improved cancer treatments by making the drugs used in photodynamic therapy (PDT) more powerful and efficient, ultimately helping patients fight cancer more effectively.
 
In PDT, doctors use special drugs, known as photosensitizers, along with light to kill cancer cells. However, some of these drugs are not very effective because they tend to clump together, making them less efficient at producing a type of oxygen called singlet oxygen, which is crucial for killing cancer cells.
 
This research suggests a solution by using a natural substance called bile salt micelles to help these drugs work better. Think of bile salt micelles as tiny, natural bubbles that can carry the drug and prevent it from clumping together, Dr. Ramalingam explains. By doing so, they help the drug produce more singlet oxygen when exposed to light, making PDT more effective at targeting and destroying cancer cells.
 
To read the open access paper, click here.