Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a cancer treatment that kills cells with light. Improved PDT drugs are needed, especially with low dark toxicity. An ideal PDT drug exhibits high cytotoxicity in the light with low toxicity in the dark. The drug must be soluble in water to be delivered through the blood, but lipid soluble to cross the cell membrane. A series of new porphyrin derivatives were analyzed as photosensitizers on a set of tumor-derived cell lines in the light and in the dark. Several porphyrins showed high toxicity at low concentrations in the light with low dark toxicity, making them good candidates for PDT agents. The distribution coefficient (logD) and cell uptake were measured for each derivative to compare physical properties with biological activity but these properties did not correlate well with activity. These compounds will be used to develop a next generation of derivatives with superior properties.

Modified porphyrins for photodynamic therapy

245th National Meeting (2013)

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