Tetra(3,4-pyrido)porphyrazines Caught in the Cationic Cage: Toward Nanomolar Active Photosensitizers

Investigation of a series of tetra­(3,4-pyrido)­porphyrazines (TPyPzs) substituted with hydrophilic substituents revealed important structure–activity relationships for their use in photodynamic therapy (PDT). Among them, a cationic TPyPz derivative with total of 12 cationic charges above, below and in the plane of the core featured a unique spatial arrangement that caught the hydrophobic core in a cage, thereby protecting it fully from aggregation in water. This derivative exhibited exceptionally effective photodynamic activity on a number of tumor cell lines (HeLa, SK-MEL-28, A549, MCF-7) with effective concentrations (EC50) typically below 5 nM, at least an order of magnitude better than the EC50 values obtained for the clinically approved photosensitizers verteporfin, temoporfin, protoporphyrin IX, and trisulfonated hydroxyaluminum phthalocyanine. Its very low dark toxicity (TC50 > 400 μM) and high ability to induce photodamage to endothelial cells (EA.hy926) without preincubation suggest the high potential of this cationic TPyPz derivative in vascular-targeted PDT.