Research leader

Alicja Ratuszna, Professor

E-mail: alicja.ratuszna@us.edu.pl 

Project description

This is an interdisciplinary project aiming at studying chemical, physical and biological properties of novel porphyrin derivatives in order to propose improved photosensitising agents useful for photodynamic therapy (PDT).

      The aim of our project is to synthesize porphyrin derivatives and evaluate their physicochemical parameters such as hydrophobicity, hydrophilicity, crystallographic structure and spectroscopic properties. To select drugs potentially useful for PDT, biological experiments on tumour cell cultures in vitro are planed as a necessary step to test the cytotoxicity and photosensitising efficiency of  the synthesized compounds.

      The research groups that undertake these tasks include investigators experienced in synthesis of high purity porphyrins. The physical properties (optical spectroscopy UV-VIS, IR, X-ray diffraction and XPS spectroscopy) are studied in the Institute of Physics at the University of Silesia, equipped with necessary equipment and research team with appropriate experience. Studies of singlet oxygen quantum yields are performed at the cooperating University of Coimbra (Portugal) using photoacustic calorimetry (PAC) and laser flash photolysis (FLASH).

      Following physicochemical characterization, the synthesized porphyrin derivatives are tested with regard to their biological activity in cultured tumour cells. The initial studies examine efficiency of different carriers to transport the proposed photosensitizers into cells. Finally, photodynamic efficiency of these compounds in function of concentrations and light energy applied is studied. We expect to select at least one new synthesized porphyrin derivative as potentially applicable for further stage of studies, i.e. the photodynamic therapy of transplantable animal tumours.

Keywords

Synthetic porphyrin derivatives, UV-VIS, IR, XPS, XRD  spectroscopy, Singlet oxygen quantum yield,  Photodynamic therapy (PDT), Cytotoxicity, Photodynamic activity, MTS assay, Clonogenic survival, Apoptosis, Necrosis, DNA damage

Research period

2007 - 2010

Sources of funding

Research grant

Partner institutions

Maria Skłodowska-Curie Memorial Center of Oncology in Gliwice, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Medical University in Warsaw, University of Coimbra (Portugal).