Russian scientists propose an innovative dual-action cancer drug
Russian scientists have proposed an innovative approach in fighting cancer, which will significantly reduce severe side effects from treatment. They have developed a promising pro-drug Riboplatin for combined chemical and photodynamic therapy based on platinum Pt (IV) and a photosensitizer (a substance that increases tissue sensitivity to light). The drug is controllably activated only in the area of malignant neoplasm under the action of blue light, without affecting unexposed tissues, thus opening up opportunities for “spot” chemotherapy. The proposed pro-drug design renders it possible to tackle the issue of toxicity and cellular resistance to conventional antitumor drugs. The research findings are published in the scientific ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces journal.
