Scientists at the Tomsk Polytechnic University Research School of Chemistry and Biomedical Technologies have developed a molecule with high antitumor activity: 90% of cancer cells died in the laboratory. This was reported by the press service of the university.
Alkylverdazil is an organic compound. Previously, scientists had demonstrated the possibility of using compounds like these in the photodynamic therapy of tumors, one of the ways to treat cancer and precancerous conditions.
“An obvious problem in creating drugs is giving organic compounds the ability to dissolve in aqueous media. This is necessary and directly affects how pronounced the effect of the drug will be, how the drug is absorbed and what tasks it can perform,” explains Pavel Petunin, associate professor of the School of Chemistry Research and one of the study’s authors. Biomedical Technologies at Tomsk Polytechnic University.
To make alkylverdazil water-soluble, scientists “cross-linked” it with part of a sugar molecule. This not only increased the solubility, but also made the molecule of the future drug more recognizable to cells. As the scientists noted, the cells began to accept this molecule “themselves”, which facilitated the penetration of the substance into the tumor cells and increased its effectiveness.
“At the beginning of our study, we were able to achieve 30-40% survival at best. That is, after using the drug, 30-40% of cancer cells survived, which is too much for the successful use of the drug. Research School of Chemistry and Biomedical Technologies of Tomsk Polytechnic University “We have now only managed to survive a statistical number of cells – about 10 percent after the first dose of the drug,” said Associate Professor Evgeny Plotnikov, MD.