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Ziel der vorliegenden Arbeit ist die photophysikalische Untersuchung Photosensibilisator-beladener Nanopartikel als Transportsysteme für aktives und passives Tumor-Targeting. Zu diesem Zweck wurden sowohl stationäre, als auch zeitaufgelöste spektroskopische Methoden angewandt. Der erste Teil beschäftigt sich mit der photophysikalischen Charakterisierung von Pheo-HSA-Nanopartikeln. Mittels stationärer und zeitaufgelöster Messungen konnte gezeigt werden, dass die Wechselwirkungen zwischen Phäophorbid a und den HSA-Nanopartikeln sehr stark ist. Diese Wechselwirkungen bewirken eine geringe Singulettsauerstoffquantenausbeute (0,07) in D2O verglichen mit dem von Phäophorbid a in Ethanol (0,52). Im Gegensatz dazu konnte nach der Inkubation in Jurkat- und HT-29-Zellen eine intrazelluläre Singulettsauerstoffgenerierung der Pheo-HSA-NPs nachgewiesen werden. Im zweiten Teil wurden mit den Photosensibilisatoren mTHPP and mTHPC beladene HSA- und PLGA-Nanopartikel untersucht. Es konnte gezeigt werden, dass die Photosensibilisator-Beladungsrate die photophysikalischen Eigenschaften der HSA- und PLGA-Nanopartikel stark beeinflusst. Für die HSA-Nanopartikel dominieren bei geringen Beladungsraten die Wechselwirkungen zwischen HSA und den Photosensibilisatormolekülen. Mit steigender Beladung spielen Wechselwirkungen zwischen den Photosensibilisatormolekülen eine zunehmende Rolle. Diese Wechselwirkungen verringern bei hoher Beladung der HSA-Nanopartikel die Generierung von Singulettsauerstoff. Auch für die PLGA-Nanopartikel konnte mit zunehmender Beladung ein verstärktes Singulettsauerstoffquenching nachgewiesen werden. Im dritten Teil dieser Arbeit wurden, für aktives Targeting von Tumorzellen, Oberflächenmodifizierte PLGA- und HSA-Nanopartikel untersucht. Die intrazellulären Singulettsauerstoffmessungen weisen auf eine erleichterte Aufnahme in Tumorzellen von Antikörper- und PEG-modifizierten HSA-Nanopartikeln in vitro hin. / The main goal of this PhD thesis is the photophysical investigation of biodegradable photosensitizer-nanoparticle carrier systems achieving passive and active tumour targeting strategies. For this purpose both steady state and time-resolved spectroscopic methods accompanied by data analysis were utilized. This work contains three main parts: First the photophysical properties of Pheo-HSA nanoparticles were compared to free pheophorbide a. Steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence experiments have already proved that the interaction between pheophorbide a and HSA nanoparticles is strong. This interaction leads to low singlet oxygen quantum yield (0.07) in D2O compared to free Pheo (0.52) in ethanol. But when incubated in Jurkat and HT-29 cell lines, Pheo-HSA nanoparticles have been proved to generate singlet oxygen inside cells. In the second part the well-known photosensitizers mTHPP and mTHPC were loaded to HSA- and PLGA- nanoparticles. It was found that the loading ratio determines the photophysical properties of both photosensitizer-loaded HSA and PLGA nanoparticles. For HSA nanoparticles, photosensitizer-nanoparticle interaction is the preferential mechanism in low loading ratio sample. But in high loading ratio sample, photosensitizer-photosensitizer interaction becomes the determining interaction. This interaction prevents singlet oxygen generation from high loading sample. For PLGA nanoparticles, high drug loading ratio also leads to a strong singlet oxygen quenching. At high drug loading ratio PLGA nanoparticles, some photosensitizer molecules may be localized deeply inside PLGA matrices and far away from surface. In the third part of this work, active tumour targeting behaviour achieved by surface modification of HSA and PLGA nanoparticles has been tested. Intracellular singlet oxygen measurement reveals that HSA nanoparticles, both with antibody and PEG surface modification have an enhanced targeting of tumour cells in vitro.

As Neoplasias endócrinas múltiplas (NEMs) são síndromes herdadas de modo dominante e causadas por mutações germinativas em genes específicos. Caracterizam-se pela presença de tumores em um conjunto de glândulas endócrinas, conjunto este típico de cada tipo-específico de NEM. Dentre os diferentes tipos de NEMs, há a neoplasia endócrina múltipla tipo 2 (NEM2) que envolve os fenótipos, carcinoma medular de tireóide (CMT), hiperparatiroidismo primário (HPT), feocromocitoma (FEO) e megacólon congênito (doença de Hirschsprung, HSCR). Apesar da prevalência da NEM2 na população em geral ser baixa (~ 1:30.000), o número de casos afetados por família pode ser expressivo, uma vez que sua penetrância é praticamente completa (~100%). A doença de HSCR ou aganglionose intestinal congênita quando ocorre está geralmente associada à mutações RET nos códons 609, 618 e 620; apresenta ampla variação fenotípica, padrão de herança complexa e baixa penetrancia. Poucos casos de HSCR podem apresentar mutações em outros genes. Mutações no gene RET são responsáveis por aproximadamente metade (~50%) dos casos familiares de HSCR e alguns casos esporádicos (~10-20%), sugerindo fortemente que a HSCR seja doença poligenica. Tem-se também sugerido que polimorfismos genéticos no RET podem influenciar o fenotipo da NEM2/HSCR. No presente estudo, analisamos o gene RET no sentido de investigar se o desenvolvimento de megacólon em pacientes com a mutação germinativa RET p.C620R estaria associado à presença de ou a) a uma segunda mutação germinativa ou b) a um SNP, ou c) a um haplótipo informativo, que possivelmente poderia estar potencialmente interagindo genicamente com a mutação RET principal e eventualmente modulando o fenótipo HSCR / The multiple endocrine neoplasias (MENs) are inherited multi-tumoral conditions caused by germline mutations in specific genes. Specifically, the multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2 (NEM2) is a hereditary endocrine disorder transmitted dominantly and involving three main tumors, medullary thyroid carcinoma (CMT), primary hyperparathyroidism (HPT) and pheochromocytoma (PHEO). Despite the low prevalence of MEN2 in general population, the number of affected individuals per family can be significant as the penetrance of MEN2 is almost complete (~100%). In addition to CMT, PHEO and HPT, other conditions as congenital megacólon (Hirschsprung disease, HSCR or congenital intestinal aganglionosis) may occur in MEN2 (HSCR/MEN2). HSCR/MEN2 usually is due to RET mutations in codons 609, 618 and 620. HSCR has a wide phenotypic variation; is a complex multigenic disease; and has a low penetrance. Mutations in the RET gene are responsible for approximately 50% of the familial HSCR cases and ~10% of the sporadic HSCR cases, supporting that HSCR is a polygenic disease and this is confirmed by a few HSCR cases associated with mutations in the EDNRB and EDN3 genes. In the present study, we focused in the analysis of the RET gene in order to investigate whether the development of congenital megacólon in patients with RET mutation p.C620R is associated with the presence of, a) a second RET germline mutation, b) a SNP, or with a haplotype that co-segregate with the disease

As Neoplasias endócrinas múltiplas (NEMs) são síndromes herdadas de modo dominante e causadas por mutações germinativas em genes específicos. Caracterizam-se pela presença de tumores em um conjunto de glândulas endócrinas, conjunto este típico de cada tipo-específico de NEM. Dentre os diferentes tipos de NEMs, há a neoplasia endócrina múltipla tipo 2 (NEM2) que envolve os fenótipos, carcinoma medular de tireóide (CMT), hiperparatiroidismo primário (HPT), feocromocitoma (FEO) e megacólon congênito (doença de Hirschsprung, HSCR). Apesar da prevalência da NEM2 na população em geral ser baixa (~ 1:30.000), o número de casos afetados por família pode ser expressivo, uma vez que sua penetrância é praticamente completa (~100%). A doença de HSCR ou aganglionose intestinal congênita quando ocorre está geralmente associada à mutações RET nos códons 609, 618 e 620; apresenta ampla variação fenotípica, padrão de herança complexa e baixa penetrancia. Poucos casos de HSCR podem apresentar mutações em outros genes. Mutações no gene RET são responsáveis por aproximadamente metade (~50%) dos casos familiares de HSCR e alguns casos esporádicos (~10-20%), sugerindo fortemente que a HSCR seja doença poligenica. Tem-se também sugerido que polimorfismos genéticos no RET podem influenciar o fenotipo da NEM2/HSCR. No presente estudo, analisamos o gene RET no sentido de investigar se o desenvolvimento de megacólon em pacientes com a mutação germinativa RET p.C620R estaria associado à presença de ou a) a uma segunda mutação germinativa ou b) a um SNP, ou c) a um haplótipo informativo, que possivelmente poderia estar potencialmente interagindo genicamente com a mutação RET principal e eventualmente modulando o fenótipo HSCR / The multiple endocrine neoplasias (MENs) are inherited multi-tumoral conditions caused by germline mutations in specific genes. Specifically, the multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2 (NEM2) is a hereditary endocrine disorder transmitted dominantly and involving three main tumors, medullary thyroid carcinoma (CMT), primary hyperparathyroidism (HPT) and pheochromocytoma (PHEO). Despite the low prevalence of MEN2 in general population, the number of affected individuals per family can be significant as the penetrance of MEN2 is almost complete (~100%). In addition to CMT, PHEO and HPT, other conditions as congenital megacólon (Hirschsprung disease, HSCR or congenital intestinal aganglionosis) may occur in MEN2 (HSCR/MEN2). HSCR/MEN2 usually is due to RET mutations in codons 609, 618 and 620. HSCR has a wide phenotypic variation; is a complex multigenic disease; and has a low penetrance. Mutations in the RET gene are responsible for approximately 50% of the familial HSCR cases and ~10% of the sporadic HSCR cases, supporting that HSCR is a polygenic disease and this is confirmed by a few HSCR cases associated with mutations in the EDNRB and EDN3 genes. In the present study, we focused in the analysis of the RET gene in order to investigate whether the development of congenital megacólon in patients with RET mutation p.C620R is associated with the presence of, a) a second RET germline mutation, b) a SNP, or with a haplotype that co-segregate with the disease