title: Modular transporters for subcellular cell-specific targeting of anti-tumor drugs.
abstract: A major problem in the treatment of cancer is the specific targeting of anti-tumor drugs to these abnormal cells. Ideally, such a drug should act over short distances to minimize damage to healthy cells, and target subcellular compartments that have the highest sensitivity to the drug. Photosensitizers, alpha-emitting radionuclides and many other medicines could be considered as such drugs if they possessed cellular and subcellular specificity. The author describes a novel approach of using modular recombinant transporters to target photosensitizers and alpha-emitting radionuclides to the nucleus, where their action is most pronounced, of cancer cells. Photosensitizer-transporter conjugates have up to 3000 times greater efficacy than free photosensitizers and display cell specificity in contrast to free photosensitizers. Alpha-emitting radionuclides, conjugated with the modular transporters, acquired similar properties. The different modules of the transporters are interchangeable, meaning that they can be tailored for particular applications.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Genetics of Intracellular Transport, Institute of Gene Biology, Moscow, Russia. sobolev@igb.ac.ru
authors.forename: Alexander S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Sobolev
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000378:metabolism; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004705:Endocytosis; D006801:Humans; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D008024:Ligands; D051379:Mice; D008954:Models, Biological; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D010778:Photochemotherapy / Q000379:methods*; D017319:Photosensitizing Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013347:Subcellular Fractions / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D008024:Ligands; D017319:Photosensitizing Agents