Mitochondria targeted protein-ruthenium photosensitizer for efficient photodynamic applications

Organelle-targeted photosensitization represents a promising approach in photodynamic therapy where the design of the active photosensitizer (PS) is very crucial. In this work, we developed a macromolecular PS with multiple copies of mitochondria-targeting groups and ruthenium complexes that displays highest phototoxicity towards several cancerous cell lines. In particu-lar, enhanced anti-cancer activity was demonstrated in acute myeloid leukemia cell lines, where significant impairment of proliferation and clonogenicity occurs. Finally, attractive two-photon absorbing properties further underlined the great significance of this PS for mitochondria targeted PDT applications in deep tissue cancer therapy.