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Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) Jan 2023Despite specialists' efforts to find the best solutions for cancer diagnosis and therapy, this pathology remains the biggest health threat in the world. Global... (Review)
Review
Despite specialists' efforts to find the best solutions for cancer diagnosis and therapy, this pathology remains the biggest health threat in the world. Global statistics concerning deaths associated with cancer are alarming; therefore, it is necessary to intensify interdisciplinary research in order to identify efficient strategies for cancer diagnosis and therapy, by using new molecules with optimal therapeutic potential and minimal adverse effects. This review focuses on studies of porphyrin macrocycles with regard to their structural and spectral profiles relevant to their applicability in efficient cancer diagnosis and therapy. Furthermore, we present a critical overview of the main commercial formulations, followed by short descriptions of some strategies approached in the development of third-generation photosensitizers.
Topics: Humans; Precision Medicine; Porphyrins; Photosensitizing Agents; Neoplasms; Photochemotherapy
PubMed: 36770816
DOI: 10.3390/molecules28031149 -
ChemMedChem Dec 2023Photodynamic therapy (PDT) efficiently induces apoptosis through visible-light irradiation of photosensitizers (PSs) within tumors and microbial cells. Porphyrin... (Review)
Review
Photodynamic therapy (PDT) efficiently induces apoptosis through visible-light irradiation of photosensitizers (PSs) within tumors and microbial cells. Porphyrin analogues serve as widely utilized photosensitizing agents with their therapeutic abilities being governed by molecular structures and central metal ions. However, these macrocyclic compounds tend to agglutinate and form stacks in aqueous environments, resulting in a loss of photochemical activity. To overcome this limitation, encapsulation within liposomes and polymer micelles enables the dispersion of porphyrins as monomolecular entities in aqueous solutions, preventing undesirable deactivation. Recently, the use of reconstituted hemoproteins containing various metal-porphyrins and protein cages incorporating porphyrins has garnered significant interest as a new generation of biocompatible PSs. In this concept paper, we provide a comprehensive review of recent developments and trends of protein-porphyrin complex PSs for applications in anticancer and antimicrobial PDTs.
Topics: Photosensitizing Agents; Porphyrins; Photochemotherapy; Light; Anti-Infective Agents
PubMed: 37821798
DOI: 10.1002/cmdc.202300373 -
Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy =... Aug 2023Photodynamic therapy (PDT) and sonodynamic therapy (SDT) are non-invasive treatment methods with obvious inhibitory effect on tumors and have few side effects, which... (Review)
Review
Photodynamic therapy (PDT) and sonodynamic therapy (SDT) are non-invasive treatment methods with obvious inhibitory effect on tumors and have few side effects, which have been widely concerned and explored by researchers. Sensitizer is the main factor in determining the therapeutic effect of PDT and SDT. Porphyrins, a group of organic compounds widespread in nature, can be activated by light or ultrasound and produce reactive oxygen species. Therefore, porphyrins as sensitizers in PDT have been widely explored and investigated for many years. Herein, we summarize the classical porphyrin compounds and their applications and mechanisms in PDT and SDT. The application of porphyrin in clinical diagnosis and imaging is also discussed. In conclusion, porphyrins have good application prospects in disease treatment as an important part of PDT or SDT, and in clinical diagnosis and imaging.
Topics: Humans; Porphyrins; Photochemotherapy; Ultrasonic Therapy; Neoplasms; Reactive Oxygen Species
PubMed: 37236030
DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2023.114933 -
Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) Jan 2021The covalent and noncovalent association of self-assembling peptides and tetrapyrroles was explored as a way to generate systems that mimic Nature's functional... (Review)
Review
The covalent and noncovalent association of self-assembling peptides and tetrapyrroles was explored as a way to generate systems that mimic Nature's functional supramolecular structures. Different types of peptides spontaneously assemble with porphyrins, phthalocyanines, or corroles to give long-range ordered architectures, whose structure is determined by the features of both components. The regular morphology and ordered molecular arrangement of these systems enhance the photochemical properties of embedded chromophores, allowing applications as photo-catalysts, antennas for dye-sensitized solar cells, biosensors, and agents for light-triggered therapies. Chemical modifications of peptide and tetrapyrrole structures and control over the assembly process can steer the organization and influence the properties of the resulting system. Here we provide a review of the field, focusing on the assemblies obtained from different classes of self-assembling peptides with tetrapyrroles, their morphologies and their applications as innovative functional materials.
Topics: Indoles; Isoindoles; Peptides; Photochemistry; Porphyrins; Tetrapyrroles
PubMed: 33525730
DOI: 10.3390/molecules26030693 -
Bioconjugate Chemistry Dec 2023Porphyrins have been vastly explored and applied in many cutting-edge fields with plenty of encouraging achievements because of their excellent properties. As important... (Review)
Review
Porphyrins have been vastly explored and applied in many cutting-edge fields with plenty of encouraging achievements because of their excellent properties. As important derivatives of porphyrins, porphyrin-based amphiphiles (PBAs) not only maintain the advanced properties of porphyrins (catalysis, imaging, and energy transfer) but also possess self-assembly and encapsulation capability in aqueous solution. Accordingly, PBAs and their self-assembles have had important roles in diagnosing and treating tumors and inflammation lesions , but not limited to these. In this article, we introduce the research progress of PBAs, including their constitution, structure design strategies, and performances in tumor and inflammation lesion diagnosis and treatments. On that basis, the defects of synthesized PBAs during their application and the possible effective strategies to overcome the limitations are also proposed. Finally, perspectives on PBAs exploration are updated based on our knowledge. We hope this review will bring researchers from various domains insights about PBAs.
Topics: Humans; Porphyrins; Nanostructures; Neoplasms; Inflammation
PubMed: 37955349
DOI: 10.1021/acs.bioconjchem.3c00432 -
Chemical Society Reviews Apr 2021Porphyrins feature prominently in nature, be it as enzymatic cofactors, electron and exciton shuffles, as photoactive dyes, or as signaling substances. Their involvement... (Review)
Review
Porphyrins feature prominently in nature, be it as enzymatic cofactors, electron and exciton shuffles, as photoactive dyes, or as signaling substances. Their involvement in the generation, storage and use of oxygen is pivotal to life, while their photochemical properties are central to the biochemical functioning of plants. When complexed to metals, porphyrins can engage in a multitude of contemporary applications ranging from solar energy generation to serving as catalysts for important chemical reactions. They are also able to function as useful theranostic agents, and as novel materials for a wide range of applications. As such, they are widely considered to be highly valuable molecules, and it almost goes without saying that synthetic organic chemistry has dramatically underpinned all the key advances made, by providing reliable access to them. In fact, strategies for the synthesis of functionalized porphyrins have now reached a state of refinement where pretty well any desired porphyrin can successfully be synthesized with the approaches that are available, including a cornucopia of related macrocycle-modified porphyrinoids. In this review, we are going to illustrate the development of this exciting field by discussing a number of classic syntheses of porphyrins. Our coverage will encompass the natural protoporphyrins and chlorophylls, while also covering general strategies for the synthesis of unsymmetrical porphyrins and chlorins. Various industrial syntheses of porphyrins will also be discussed, as will other routes of great practical importance, and avenues to key porphyrinoids with modified macrocycles. A range of selected examples of contemporary functionalization reactions will be highlighted. The various key syntheses will be described and analyzed from a traditional mechanistic organic chemistry perspective to help student readers, and those who are new to this area. The aim will be to allow readers to mechanistically appreciate and understand how many of these fascinating ring-systems are built and further functionalized.
Topics: Molecular Structure; Porphyrins
PubMed: 33623938
DOI: 10.1039/c7cs00719a -
Environmental Science and Pollution... Jan 2023Photodynamic antimicrobial chemotherapy (PACT) is extensively studied as a strategic method to inactivate pathogenic microbes in wastewater for addressing the... (Review)
Review
Photodynamic antimicrobial chemotherapy (PACT) is extensively studied as a strategic method to inactivate pathogenic microbes in wastewater for addressing the limitations associated with chlorination, ozonation, and ultraviolet irradiation as disinfection methods, which generally promote the development of resistant genes and harmful by-products such as trihalomethanes. PACT is dependent on photons, oxygen, and a photosensitizer to induce cytotoxic effects on various microbes by generating reactive oxygen species. Photosensitizers such as porphyrins have demonstrated significant microbial inactivation through PACT, hence now explored for wastewater phototreatment. This review aims to evaluate the efficacy of porphyrins and porphyrin-conjugates as photosensitizers for wastewater photoinactivation. Concerns relating to the application of photosensitizers in water treatment are also evaluated. This includes recovery and reuse of the photosensitizer when immobilized on solid supports.
Topics: Photosensitizing Agents; Porphyrins; Wastewater; Photochemotherapy; Anti-Infective Agents
PubMed: 36515881
DOI: 10.1007/s11356-022-24644-8 -
Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) May 2022Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs) are hybrid multifunctional platforms that have found remarkable applications in cancer treatment and diagnostics. Independently, these... (Review)
Review
Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs) are hybrid multifunctional platforms that have found remarkable applications in cancer treatment and diagnostics. Independently, these materials can be employed in cancer treatment as intelligent drug carriers in chemotherapy, photothermal therapy, and photodynamic therapy; conversely, MOFs can further be used as diagnostic tools in fluorescence imaging, magnetic resonance imaging, computed tomography imaging, and photoacoustic imaging. One essential property of these materials is their great ability to fine-tune their composition toward a specific application by way of a judicious choice of the starting building materials (metal nodes and organic ligands). Moreover, many advancements were made concerning the preparation of these materials, including the ability to downsize the crystallites yielding nanoporous porphyrin MOFs (NMOFs) which are of great interest for clinical treatment and diagnostic theranostic tools. The usage of porphyrins as ligands allows a high degree of multifunctionality. Historically these molecules are well known for their reactive oxygen species formation and strong fluorescence characteristics, and both have proved helpful in cancer treatment and diagnostic tools. The anticipation that porphyrins in MOFs could prompt the resulting materials to multifunctional theranostic platforms is a reality nowadays with a series of remarkable and ground-breaking reports available in the literature. This is particularly remarkable in the last five years, when the scientific community witnessed rapid development in porphyrin MOFs theranostic agents through the development of imaging technologies and treatment strategies for cancer. This manuscript reviews the most relevant recent results and achievements in this particular area of interest in MOF chemistry and application.
Topics: Humans; Ligands; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Metal-Organic Frameworks; Neoplasms; Porphyrins; Precision Medicine
PubMed: 35630585
DOI: 10.3390/molecules27103111 -
Journal of Photochemistry and... Sep 2021Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is an approved therapeutic approach and an alternative to conventional chemotherapy for the treatment of several types of cancer with the...
Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is an approved therapeutic approach and an alternative to conventional chemotherapy for the treatment of several types of cancer with the advantages of reducing the side effects and developing resistance mechanisms. Here, was evaluated the photosensitization capabilities of 5,10,15,20-tetrakis[4-(pyridinium-1-yl-methyl)phenyl]porphyrin (3), its N-confused isomer (4) and of the neutral precursors (1) and (2) and the results were compared with the ones obtained with the cationic 5,10,15,20-tetrakis(1-methylpyridinium-4-yl)porphyrin (TMPyP). Both regular porphyrin derivatives 1 and 3 showed higher efficiency to generate singlet oxygen than TMPyP. The PDT assays towards MCF-7 cells under red light irradiation (λ > 640 nm, 23.7 mW cm) demonstrated that the cationic porphyrin 3 is an efficient photosensitizer to kill MCF-7 breast cancer cells. The study of the cell death mechanisms induced by the photodynamic process showed that the studied porphyrin 3 and TMPyP caused cell death by autophagic flux and necrosis.
Topics: Apoptosis; Breast Neoplasms; Cell Survival; Female; Humans; Light; MCF-7 Cells; Microscopy, Confocal; Photosensitizing Agents; Porphyrins; Singlet Oxygen
PubMed: 34399205
DOI: 10.1016/j.jphotobiol.2021.112258 -
Biomaterials Science May 2024Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) constitute a class of highly functional porous materials composed of lightweight elements interconnected by covalent bonds,... (Review)
Review
Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) constitute a class of highly functional porous materials composed of lightweight elements interconnected by covalent bonds, characterized by structural order, high crystallinity, and large specific surface area. The integration of naturally occurring porphyrin molecules, renowned for their inherent rigidity and conjugate planarity, as building blocks in COFs has garnered significant attention. This strategic incorporation addresses the limitations associated with free-standing porphyrins, resulting in the creation of well-organized porous crystal structures with molecular-level directional arrangements. The unique optical, electrical, and biochemical properties inherent to porphyrin molecules endow these COFs with diversified applications, particularly in the realm of biology. This review comprehensively explores the synthesis and modulation strategies employed in the development of porphyrin-based COFs and delves into their multifaceted applications in biological contexts. A chronological depiction of the evolution from design to application is presented, accompanied by an analysis of the existing challenges. Furthermore, this review offers directional guidance for the structural design of porphyrin-based COFs and underscores their promising prospects in the field of biology.
Topics: Porphyrins; Metal-Organic Frameworks; Humans; Porosity; Animals
PubMed: 38717456
DOI: 10.1039/d4bm00214h