Article ID: jslsm-40_0061
Photodynamic therapy, a promising less invasive cancer treatment, can be improved by the development of cancer-selective and effective photosensitizers. In general, porphyrin photosensitizers produce singlet oxygen to damage biomolecules in cancer cell. However, hypoxic environment in tumor may inhibit the activity of photosensitizers. The purpose of this review is the introduction of porphyrin phosphorus(V) complexes, which can photosensitize damage of DNA, protein (including enzyme), folic acid, and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide through electron transfer. Furthermore, a phosphorus(V) porphyrin demonstrated cancer-selective photocytotoxicity and a tumor-selectivity in an animal experiment.
