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Approaches to a broad range of high performance PDT sensitizers

Starting from expertise in the area of chemical synthesis, particularly in tetrapyrrolic macrocycles and an interest in modelling structures for particular objectives, we came to the point of aiming at modelling photochemical sensitizers designed for photodynamic therapy (PDT) purposes. Our endeavours were gratifying when it was proved that our synthetic methodologies allowed for the easy availability of properly halogenated porphyrins with high quantum yield singlet oxygen efficiency. Joining the presence of this heavy atom and other functionalities as substituents in selected positions of macrocyclic structures we were able to generate novel porphyrin structures whose photophysical and photochemical properties, singlet oxygen formation quantum yields, photobleaching and logP were measured. Cellular uptake measurements and cytotoxicity assays on WiDr adenocarcinoma and A375 tumor cell lines were carried out and some of our porphyrins demonstrated very high performance as PDT sensitizers comparatively to known compounds approved for clinical use and in the market. Further developments of our studies allowed for the generation of different and more efficient structures, easily made available by our own synthetic methodologies. Our studies in this area allowed us to reach a stage which we believe to correspond to a significant knowledge and capacity to synthesise a broad range of simple structures, whose selectivity and efficiency as PDT sensitizers can be modulated for different cellular and tissue specificities. Our most recent developments in this area will be presented in this communication.