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Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a promising treatment modality for cancer. PDT is based on the concept that photosensitizers, when exposed to light of specific wavelength, generate cytotoxic reactive oxygen species (ROS) capable of killing tumor cells. The effectiveness of PDT has been limited in part by the lack of photosensitizers that accumulate sufficiently in tumor cells and poor yield of ROS from existing photosensitizers. In this report, we investigated whether aerosol OT-alginate nanoparticles can be used as a carrier to enhance the therapeutic efficacy of a model photosensitizer, methylene blue. Methylene blue loaded nanoparticles were evaluated for PDT effectiveness in two cancer cell lines, MCF-7 and 4T1. Encapsulation of methylene blue in nanoparticles significantly enhanced intracellular ROS production, and the overall cytotoxicity following PDT. It also resulted in higher incidence of necrosis. Greater …