Mitochondria-targeted Porphyrinoids: A New class of Photosensitizer for One and Two-photon Targeted Photodynamic Therapy

Targeted cancer therapies offer a promising strategy to overcome problems associated with conventional treatments [1]. In this context, photodynamic therapy (PDT) received special attention due to its selective and minimally invasive treatment procedures [2]. However, some photosensitizers accumulate in healthy tissues and cause adverse effects during PDT action. Several "active" and "passive" targeting strategies are employed to enhance the specificity and efficiency of PDT [3]. Herein, our project aims to develop a new-class of photosensitizers (free base porphyrins, metallated porphyrins and corroles) to target mitochondria of tumor cells and thus enhancing one- and two-photon phototoxicity. Furthermore, photosensitizers encapsulated in liposomal nanoformulations will be studied for tumor targeting. These novel mitochondria targeted photosensitizers can overcome the problem of hypoxia in PDT and result in high efficacy of the therapy.