Reprograming cancer cells by a BODIPY G-quadruplex stabiliser.

A cationic BODIPY-based G-quadruplex-selective stabiliser is developed and shown to decrease cancer cell migration-invasion up to 90%. The expression of critical genes (HIF1α, VIM, CDH1) related to metastasis is modulated. The stabiliser reprograms hypoxia-adaptive metabolism and an 1.

Downregulation of gene expression in hypoxic cancer cells by an activatable G-quadruplex stabiliser.

In the research, the modulation of gene expression with a novel G-quadruplex stabiliser was analysed. Activation by the removal of bulky hypoxia-responsive substituent enhances G-quadruplex stabilisation. Hypoxic MCF7 cells incubated with the stabiliser displayed significant downregulation of oncogenes c-myc, bcl-2, and hif-1α.

Enzyme activatable photodynamic therapy agents targeting melanoma.

Cell-selective activity regulation of therapeutics is necessary for efficient personalized treatments with minimal off-target effects. Here, the first example of a structurally simple, pyridinium BODIPY-based, tyrosinase activatable photosensitizer is developed and the cytotoxic singlet oxygen generation capacity is analysed. Singlet oxygen quantum yields of active and inactive forms are determined to be 0.