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Review
. 2019 Jul 23;24(14):2669.
doi: 10.3390/molecules24142669.

Porphyrin as Diagnostic and Therapeutic Agent

Ncediwe Tsolekile  1   2   3 , Simphiwe Nelana  4 , Oluwatobi Samuel Oluwafemi  5   6
Affiliations
Review

Porphyrin as Diagnostic and Therapeutic Agent

Ncediwe Tsolekile et al. Molecules. .

Abstract

The synthesis and application of porphyrins has seen a huge shift towards research in porphyrin bio-molecular based systems in the past decade. The preferential localization of porphyrins in tumors, as well as their ability to generate reactive singlet oxygen and low dark toxicities has resulted in their use in therapeutic applications such as photodynamic therapy. However, their inherent lack of bio-distribution due to water insolubility has shifted research into porphyrin-nanomaterial conjugated systems to address this challenge. This has broadened their bio-applications, viz. bio-sensors, fluorescence tracking, in vivo magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and positron emission tomography (PET)/CT imaging to photo-immuno-therapy just to highlight a few. This paper reviews the unique theranostic role of porphyrins in disease diagnosis and therapy. The review highlights porphyrin conjugated systems and their applications. The review ends by bringing current challenges and future perspectives of porphyrin based conjugated systems and their respective applications into light.

Keywords: MRI; PDT; PTT; conjugate; dual modality; porphyrin; theranostic.

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Conflict of interest statement

“The authors declare no conflict of interest.” “The funders had no role in the design of the study; in the collection, analyses, or interpretation of data; in the writing of the manuscript, or in the decision to publish the results”.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
(a) Schematic diagram for generation of singlet oxygen [14]; (b) UV absorption spectra of free base porphyrin] [14]; (c) Metallated porphyrin functionalized with naphthalene-2-yl propenes (NPs) [15].
Figure 2
Figure 2
Diagram showing the multi-applications of porphyrins (a,b,e) including different imaging capabilities (c,d,f–h) of porphyrins [12].
Figure 3
Figure 3
Typical structure of meso-sulphonatophenyl porphyrin which can be used as a contrast agent for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) (M = Mn(III), Fe(III), and Cu(II) [5].
Figure 4
Figure 4
(a) Photodynamic therapy (PDT) application [45] and (b) fluorescence imaging capabilities of porphyrins [33].
Figure 5
Figure 5
Structures of cationic porphyrin derivatives [46].
Figure 6
Figure 6
10,15,20-tetrakis(4-trimethylammoniophenyl)porphyrin tetra(p-toluenesulfonate) (TAPP). Functionalization with dendrimer [48].
Figure 7
Figure 7
Photo-thermal therapy (PTT) and PDT treatment using singlet oxygen producing porphyrin [51].
Figure 8
Figure 8
Dual functionality of porphyrins, (A) intravenous injection of the porphyrin, (B) dual (fluorescence and photoacoustic) imaging, (C) photothermal therapy application, and (D) post-treatment tumor free model [55].
Figure 9
Figure 9
Retro-synthetic pathways to ABCD porphyrins.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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