Provided herein are metal nanoclusters, having a high absorption to volume ratio, and uses of the same, such as in generating singlet oxygen, or in protecting surfaces from high intensity light.

The invention provides CaO.sub.2 nanoparticles having a pH-responsive coating for use in a method of adjuvant therapy of hypoxic tumour cells or tissues. The nanoparticles find particular use in enhancing cancer therapies that depend on oxygen to exert their effect, such as photodynamic therapy (PDT), sonodynamic therapy (SDT), and radiotherapy. The invention also provides pharmaceutical compositions containing the coated CaO.sub.2 nanoparticles, together with at least one photosensitiser, sonosensitiser, or radiosensitiser and, optionally, at least one pharmaceutical carrier or excipient.

The present invention discloses a method for synthesizing a new ferrihydrite nano-photosensitizer, comprising steps of: weighing 303 mg of Fe(NO.sub.3).sub.3⋅9H.sub.2O solid dissolved fully in 30 ml of distilled water to prepare a 0.75 mM of Fe(NO.sub.3).sub.3 solution in water; adding PEG solid to the solution in water by stirring to fully dissolve at a molar ratio of PEG to Fe.sup.3+ of 1:1-1:50; stirring the obtained solution under heating at 75° C. in a water bath for 10-50 minutes, and then immediately cooling in an ice bath after removing; centrifuging and washing the cooled mixed solution at high speed under low temperature with the supernatant discarded, to obtain pellets as PEG-modified ferrihydrite nanoparticles (PEG-Fns). The PEG-Fns synthesized in the present invention can be controllably induced and reduced by blue light to release Fe.sup.2+, and then produce ⋅OH through Fenton reaction of Fe.sup.2+ and H.sub.2O.sub.2 in the cell, which induces cell oxidative damage, thereby achieving controllable anticancer and antibacterial purposes.

A urinary control system for controlling urination has a first light source configured to selectively apply a first light and a second light to a bladder muscle and a second light source configured to selectively apply the first light and the second light to the urethral sphincter. A first optogene is expressed to the bladder muscle and the urethral sphincter, and a second optogene is expressed to the bladder muscle and the urethral sphincter, the first optogene contracts muscles by depolarizing membrane potential when the first light is applied, the second optogene relaxes muscles by depolarizing membrane potential when the second light is applied, and the contraction and relaxation of the bladder muscle and the urethral sphincter are achieved counteractively via photostimulation by the first light and the second light, respectively, so as to control urination.

Disclosed is a system and method for treatment of skin disorders. More particularly, the disclosed invention is directed toward the use of multiple light sources for treating skin with or without the use of a topical compositions or photomodulation enhancing agents. Dual light emitting diodes may, for example, be used at relatively low power (less than about 10 J/cm2) to photomodulate skin or living tissue to reduce wrinkles, fine lines, acne, acne bacteria, and other skin disorders.

A gene nanocomposite and a cellular internalization method of a gene using the same are provided. More specifically provided is a gene nanocomposite including: a photosensitizer-conjugated polymer; and one or more materials selected from a gene and a gene/cationic polymer composite, and a cellular internalization method of a gene using the same to improve gene delivery efficiency into a mammal-derived cell and gene expression.

The present application relates to a cancer cell death composition and a cancer cell death method. The present application relates to an invention using a mechanism that provides reactive oxygen species to cell membranes of cancer cells, so as to break down the cell membranes of cancer cells, thereby enabling cancer cell death.

Provided herein are conjugates, compositions and methods for use in photoimmunotherapy, such as photoimmunotherapy induced by activation of a phthalocyanine dye conjugated to a targeting molecule that binds a protein on cell, for example, an IR700-antibody conjugate. In some embodiments, the phthalocyanine-dye conjugate can be activated by irradiation with near-infrared light. Features of the conjugates, compositions and methods, including the dose of the conjugate, provide various advantages, such as lower toxicity and/or improved efficacy. In some embodiments, also provided is a dual label phthalocyanine-dye conjugate in which the targeting molecule is conjugated to an additional fluorescent dye, which can be used for photoimmunotherapy while, for example, also exhibiting improved performance for imaging or detection. Also provided are therapeutic methods using the conjugates and compositions for treatment of diseases and conditions, including tumors or cancers.

The present disclosure relates in one aspect to compositions containing indium phosphide (InP) or ternary zinc cadmium telluride (Zn.sub.1-xCd.sub.xTe) quantum dots. These quantum dots are useful as selective antimicrobial agents. Compositions containing the quantum dots described herein are nontoxic to human cells.

A formulation for an eye treatment includes a photosensitizer and a permeability enhancing composition. The permeability enhancing composition includes one or more permeability enhancers. The permeability enhancing composition has a hydrophilic and lipophilic balance increases a permeability of an area of the eye for the photosensitizer. The hydrophilic and lipophilic balance can be characterized by a Hydrophile-Lipophile Balance (HLB) number. For example, the area of the eye may include a corneal epithelium, the photosensitizer may include riboflavin, and the permeability enhancing composition may have a corresponding HLB number between approximately 12.6 and approximately 14.6.