A model for light-triggered porphyrin anticancer prodrugs based on an o-nitrobenzyl photolabile group

A model for light-triggered porphyrin anticancer prodrug 1 was designed and synthesized. Upon photolysis, prodrug 1 can efficiently liberate the anticancer drug tegafur. The MTT assay demonstrates that prodrug 1 is significantly less toxic than its parent drug tegafur, and I can release tegafur upon photoactivation in vitro. The light-triggered porphyrin anti-cancer prodrug technique developed herein may find useful applications in chemotherapy to minimize the side effects of anticancer drugs because of the tumor affinity property of porphyrin and the light-controllable anticancer drug dosing. ((c) Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2008).