Mohsen Mehrabi

In recent years, photodynamic therapy (PDT) and photothermal therapy (PTT) have been recognized as novel and non-invasive cancer treatment methods. The efficacy of these light-based therapies can be improved by using biocompatible nanoparticles. In this research, a hybrid nanocomposite consisting of iron oxide (Fe₂O₃) and iron sulfide (FeS₂) nanoparticles as photosensitizing agents, and calcium carbonate (CaCO₃) nanoparticles extracted from cuttlefish bone as a drug carrier, was synthesized using a combination of green synthesis and hydrothermal methods. Various analyses, including Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), X-ray Diffraction (XRD), UV-Vis Spectroscopy, and Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), were performed to determine the structural and optical characteristics of the FeS₂-Fe₂O₃-CaCO₃ nanocomposite. The photothermal effects of several different concentrations of the aqueous nanocomposite solution were measured using an 808 nm laser with a power of 1 W. A concentration of 6 mg/mL was determined as the optimal concentration for use in PTT. Furthermore, using the Roper equation, the photothermal conversion efficiency of this nanocomposite was calculated to be 29%. The photodynamic therapy properties of the nanocomposite were confirmed by demonstrating the production of Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) in a photocatalytic process using methylene blue as a detector. The drug loading capacity of doxorubicin onto the nanocomposite was calculated to be 48%. Cellular toxicity assessment (MTT assay) on the ovarian cancer cell line (Ovcar-3) showed that the dual FeS₂/Fe₂O₃ nanocomposite at a concentration of 0.5 mg/mL exhibited the highest cytotoxicity and is introduced as a potential and selective anticancer agent.