Molecular photosensitisers for two-photon photodynamic therapy.

Two-photon excitation has attracted the attention of biologists, especially after the development of two-photon excited microscopy in the nineties. Since then, new applications have rapidly emerged such as the release of biologically active molecules and photodynamic therapy (PDT) using two-photon excitation. PDT, which requires a light-activated drug (photosensitiser), is a clinically approved and minimally invasive treatment for cancer and for non-malignant diseases. This feature article focuses on the engineering of molecular two-photon photosensitisers for PDT, which should bring important benefits to the treatment, increase the treatment penetration depth with near-infrared light excitation, improve the spatial selectivity and reduce the photodamage to healthy tissues. After an overview of the two-photon absorption phenomenon and the methods to evaluate two-photon induced phototoxicity on cell cultures, the different classes of photosensitisers described in the literature are discussed. The two-photon PDT performed with historical one-photon sensitisers are briefly presented, followed by specifically engineered cyclic tetrapyrrole photosensitisers, purely organic photosensitisers and transition metal complexes. Finally, targeted two-photon photosensitisers and theranostic agents that should enhance the selectivity and efficiency of the treatment are discussed.

Highlight on the solution processes occurring on silver(i)-assembling porphyrins in the presence of an excess of silver salt.

Coordination cages obtained upon complexation of pyridyl functionalized porphyrins by Ag+ disassemble when overtaking a 1 : 2 stoichiometric amount of silver salt. An excess of Ag+ then leads to unusual chemical processes, here analyzed in detail, which permanently transform the monomeric porphyrins. The observed processes, discussed with reference to model compounds devoid of polyether substituted pyridyl residues, evidence a peculiar reactivity for meso 2,6-dimethylphenyl substituted porphyrins.

π-Extended diketopyrrolopyrrole-porphyrin arrays: one- and two-photon photophysical investigations and theoretical studies.

A complete one- and two-photon spectroscopic and photophysical characterization of three diketopyrrolopyrrole (DPP)-porphyrin conjugates is reported. The increased conjugation introduced by the incremental addition of one, two and four DPP units on the meso porphyrin positions strongly affects the optical properties of the systems. Ground and triplet excited state absorption spectra show a gradual broadening and bathochromic shift and a trend to lower energies is also observed for both fluorescence and phosphorescence emission. Interestingly, the fluorescence quantum yield increases along the series, leading to remarkable NIR emission properties for the larger derivatives. Unlike the model porphyrin, all derivatives exhibit high two-photon absorption activity. An increase in two-photon absorption cross-section in the regions 800-840 nm and 910-930 nm is observed moving from one DPP to two DPP appended units, with a value of the order of 4000 GM at 910 nm for the latter system. The four compounds show high efficiency in generating singlet oxygen, with yields ranging from 0.7 to 0.5, envisaging favourable applications in both one- and two-photon photodynamic therapies. A detailed theoretical exploration of both linear (absorption and emission) and non-linear (two-photon absorption) properties proposes an analysis of the experimental spectra and a comprehensive interpretation of the two-photon activity within the series of compounds.

Assessment of cortisol response with low-dose and high-dose ACTH in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome and healthy comparison subjects.

A reduced secretion of cortisol has been proposed as a possible explanation of the symptoms in chronic fatigue syndrome. However, the evidence of hypocortisolism in chronic fatigue syndrome is conflicting. In order to simultaneously assess possible alterations in adrenocortical sensitivity and secretory adrenal reserve, the authors administered both low-dose and high-dose ACTH to a group of 18 chronic fatigue syndrome patients and 18 age- and gender-matched healthy comparison subjects. No response differences for salivary and plasma cortisol were detectable after administration of either low-dose or high-dose ACTH, indicating that primary adrenal insufficiency is unlikely to play a significant role in the etiology of chronic fatigue syndrome.

Octahedral Fe(II) and Ru(II) complexes based on a new bis 1,10-phenanthroline ligand that imposes a well defined axis.

A bis-chelating ligand (L1), made of two 7-(p-anisyl)-1,10-phenanthroline (phen) subunits connected with a p-(CH(2))(2)C(6)H(4)(CH(2))(2) spacer through their 4 positions, has been prepared, using Skraup syntheses and reaction of the anion of 4-methyl-7-anisyl-1,10-phenanthroline with alpha,alpha'-dibromo-p-xylene. Its Fe(II) complex, [FeL1(dmbp)](PF(6))(2), was prepared in one step by reaction of L1 with [Fe(dmbp)(3)](PF(6))(2) (dmbp = 4,4'-dimethyl-2,2'-bipyridine). On the other hand, its Ru(II) complex, [RuL1(dmbp)](PF(6))(2), was prepared in two steps from Ru(CH(3)CN)(4)Cl(2) and L1, followed by reaction with dmbp. X-ray crystal structure analyses show that in the two octahedral complexes, ligand L1 coils around the metal by coordination of the axial and two equatorial positions. It defines a 21 A long axis (O.O distance) running through the central metal and the terminal anisyl substituents. The complexes were also characterized by (1)H NMR, mass spectrometry, cyclic voltammetry, electronic absorption, and, in the case of Ru(II), fluorescence spectroscopy.

A linear multiporphyrinic

A linear multiporphyrinic [2]-rotaxane has been synthesized using the transition metal-templating method for threading a gold(III)-incorporating macrocycle onto a rodlike, phenanthroline-derived chelate bearing carboxylate end groups. Stoppering has been performed by reacting the resulting prerotaxane with the amino derivative of a zinc tetraarylporphyrin under EDC-HOBt activation. A 34% yield has been realized for this one-pot, double amide bond formation.