Water-soluble metalloporphyrinates with excellent photo-induced anticancer activity resulting from high tumor accumulation

A metalloporphyrin frame and platinum(II)-based groups were combined to produce two new pentacationic metalloporphyrinates. Both of them exhibited high singlet oxygen quantum yields and remarkable photocytotoxicity with appreciable phototoxic indexes. With outstanding tumor accumulation, cisplatin-based gallium porphyrinate almost completely inhibited tumor growth in an in vivo photodynamic therapy assay.64