Exploring new possibilities in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer

Porphyrins – from nature to oncology

Porphyrins and porphyrinoids are compounds that occur naturally in the environment and play key roles, for example in photosynthesis and oxygen transport. Today, their derivatives are being intensively studied for biomedical applications, both in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer.

The ability of porphyrins to accumulate near rapidly dividing cells means they can serve, for example, as markers that help detect cancerous changes. At the same time, in another mode of use, when exposed to light of a specific wavelength, they generate reactive oxygen species that lead to the destruction of cancer cells. These properties make them promising photosensitisers in photodynamic therapy (PDT).

Challenges: absorption and solubility

From a clinical perspective, it is important for a photosensitiser to efficiently absorb low‑energy radiation (towards the infrared range), which penetrates tissues more effectively. This, however, is not a typical feature of classical porphyrins. Another limitation is their low solubility in water and bodily fluids, which makes medical use more difficult.

Combining porphyrins with sugar derivatives

The aim of our researchers is to develop a new method for synthesising porphyrins that better meet the requirements of modern photosensitisers. A key element of the work is linking porphyrins with sugar derivatives using palladium catalysis.

Although palladium‑catalysed reactions are well established in contemporary organic synthesis, they have not yet been used to connect complex structures with sugar fragments.

“The designed porphyrin glycoconjugates combine two functional subunits within a single molecule,” explains Dr Maciej Malinowski, principal investigator of the project. “The porphyrin part is responsible for generating reactive oxygen species, while the sugar fragment improves solubility in aqueous environments and increases the biological selectivity of the system.”

The designed systems are also intended to absorb lower‑energy radiation than classical porphyrins, which may increase their effectiveness in both imaging diagnostics and photodynamic therapy.

A photosensitiser developed by the team from the Faculty of Chemistry at the WUT, which absorbs lower energy radiation more efficiently (it changed colour in solution due to the red A photosensitiser developed by the team from the Faculty of Chemistry at the WUTof porphyrin absorption)

New directions in medicinal chemistry

The usefulness of the obtained compounds will be evaluated in biological tests carried out in collaboration with Professor Ilona Grabowska‑Jadach (WUT Faculty of Chemistry). The project opens new pathways in the synthesis of porphyrin–sugar hybrids and may contribute to the development of more effective photosensitisers with potential applications in oncology.