Preparation and in vitro photodynamic activities of folate-conjugated distyryl boron dipyrromethene based photosensitizers.

Two folate-conjugated diiododistyryl boron dipyrromethenes have been prepared and characterized with various spectroscopic methods. These conjugates exhibit higher photocytotoxicity toward the KB human nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells, which have high expression of folate receptors when compared with the MCF-7 human breast adenocarcinoma cells, which have low expression of folate receptors. The difference in photocytotoxicity for these two cell lines is particularly large for the conjugate with a shorter oligoethylene glycol linker (compound 11a) as a result of its higher cellular uptake and slightly lower aggregation tendency.

A phthalocyanine-peptide conjugate with high in vitro photodynamic activity and enhanced in vivo tumor-retention property.

A novel zinc(II) phthalocyanine conjugated with a short peptide with a nuclear localization sequence, Gly-Gly-Pro-Lys-Lys-Lys-Arg-Lys-Val, was synthesized by click chemistry and a standard Fmoc solid-phase peptide synthesis protocol. The conjugate was purified by HPLC and characterized with UV/Vis and high-resolution mass spectroscopic methods. Both this compound and its non-peptide-conjugated analogue are essentially non-aggregated in N,N-dimethylformamide and can generate singlet oxygen effectively with quantum yields (Φ(Δ)) of 0.

Synthesis and in vitro photodynamic activities of pegylated distyryl boron dipyrromethene derivatives.

A series of pegylated distyryl boron dipyrromethenes have been prepared and characterized. Their in vitro photodynamic activities in Tween 80 emulsions have also been investigated against HT29 human colorectal carcinoma cells. The derivative having five triethylene glycol chains (compound 8) exhibits the highest photocytotoxicity with an IC(50) as low as 7 nM.

Preparation of unsymmetrical distyryl BODIPY derivatives and effects of the styryl substituents on their in vitro photodynamic properties.

A series of unsymmetrical distyryl BODIPYs have been prepared which function as highly potent photosensitisers with in vitro IC(50) values as low as 15 nM. Their cellular uptake, subcellular localisation and photocytotoxicity depend greatly on the styryl substituents.

Phthalocyanine-polyamine conjugates as highly efficient photosensitizers for photodynamic therapy.

A series of silicon(IV) phthalocyanines substituted axially with different polyamine moieties have been prepared. Their fluorescence quantum yields (Φ(F) = 0.03-0.

A pH-responsive fluorescence probe and photosensitiser based on a tetraamino silicon(IV) phthalocyanine.

A novel tetraamino silicon(iv) phthalocyanine has been prepared, of which the fluorescence emission and reactive oxygen species generation efficiency are greatly enhanced at lower pH in the range of ca. 5-7, making it a promising pH-controlled and tumour-selective fluorescence probe and photosensitiser for photodynamic therapy.

Photodynamic activity of a glucoconjugated silicon(IV) phthalocyanine on human colon adenocarcinoma.

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) involves the use of a non-toxic photosensitizer which exhibits a killing effect upon activation by light. In the past few years, we have synthesized a number of novel second generation photosensitizers with superior properties, most of them are phthalocyanines. Among them, the glucoconjugated silicon(IV) phthalocyanine (SiPcGlu) shows potent phototoxicity against human colorectal adenocarcinoma HT29 cells.

Phthalocyanine-polyamine conjugates as pH-controlled photosensitizers for photodynamic therapy.

A series of aryl hydroxyamines prepared by reductive amination were treated with silicon(IV) phthalocyanine dichloride in the presence of pyridine to give the diaxially substituted phthalocyanine-polyamine conjugates 1-5. The electronic absorption, fluorescence emission, and efficiency at generating reactive oxygen species of these compounds were all sensitive to the pH environment. Under acidic conditions, the fluorescence quantum yields and the singlet oxygen quantum yields of these compounds were greatly enhanced in DMF as a result of protonation of the amino moieties, which inhibited the photoinduced electron-transfer deactivation pathway.

Purple acid phosphatase-like sequences in prokaryotic genomes and the characterization of an atypical purple alkaline phosphatase from Burkholderia cenocepacia J2315.

Purple acid phosphatases (PAP) are a group of dimetallic phosphohydrolase first identified in eukaryotes. Bioinformatics analysis revealed 57 prokaryotic PAP-like sequences in the genomes of 43 bacteria and 4 cyanobacteria species. A putative PAP gene (BcPAP) from the bacteria Burkholderia cenocepacia J2315 was chosen for further studies.