A spermine-conjugated lipophilic Pt(iv) prodrug designed to eliminate cancer stem cells in ovarian cancer.

Morgan StilgenbauerAmarasooriya M D S JayawardhanaPayel DattaZhizhou YueMichael GrayFrederick NielsenDavid J BowersHaihua XiaoYao-Rong Zheng

Published in: Chemical communications (Cambridge, England) (2019)

We developed a spermine-conjugated lipophilic Pt(iv) prodrug that is able to reduce the cancer stem cell population in ovarian cancer. The therapeutic effect is attributed to the hydrophobic tail and cationic spermine head group, the combination of which allows the Pt(iv) prodrug to localize in mitochondria and induce corresponding damage.

Keyphrases

cancer stem cells
cancer therapy
drug release
photodynamic therapy
drug delivery
oxidative stress
cell death