C-Phycocyanin as a tumour-associated macrophage-targeted photosensitiser and a vehicle of phthalocyanine for enhanced photodynamic therapy.

C-Phycocyanin (CPC) as a tumour-associated macrophage (TAM)-targeted photosensitiser has been first proved, and used as a vehicle of zinc phthalocyanine (ZnPc) to fabricate a ZnPc-CPC conjugate, which exhibits an efficient in vitro photodynamic activity, and selectively accumulates in tumour sites probably due to the affinity to TAM.