Porphyrins cytotoxic effects

An interesting application of the photodynamic properties of porphyrins is their possible use in the treatment of certain types of cancer, a procedure called cancer phototherapy. Tumors often take up more porphyrins than do normal tissues. Thus, hematopor-phyrin or other related compounds are administered to a patient with an appropriate mmor. The mmor is then exposed to an argon laser, which excites the porphyrins, producing cytotoxic effects. 

Bioassays of a considerable number of drugs embodying a combination of porphyrin and cis-platin moieties in the same molecule have led to compound (43) in vitro and in vivo studies on this compound showed a phototoxicity which was additive to the cytotoxic effect of the platinum moiety.190-193... 

In this chapter, we would like to introduce PIC micelles encapsulating ionic dendrimer porphyrins as a photosensitiser (PS) for photodynamic therapy (PDT). PDT is a topical therapeutic modality of malignant tumors, which treats tumor cells with cytotoxic singlet oxygen ( O2) produced by PS through photo-excitation at its characteristic wavelength A successful PDT may be completed by the development of potent PSs their tumor-selective delivery and selective and effective photoirradiation at the... 

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