Anticancer Phototherapeutics Based on Transition Metal Complexes

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Cancer is one of the leading causes of death around the world. Although existing chemotherapy regimens are often successful in curing many common cancers, they frequently cause serious and unwanted side-effects. Cancers can also develop resistance to chemotherapy. One potential solution to both these problems is photodynamic therapy, PDT. In PDT a “photosensitizer”, which is activated by light, is used to treat cancer. As the photosensitizer only works when irradiated by intense laser light this therapy can be highly targeted to a treatment area and thus reduce side-effects. Because of the way PDT works resistance of cancer to this therapeutic regime is usually very low. The problem with PDT is that the light usually used to activate PDT does not penetrate very deeply into tissue.We have developed metal complexes that can be activated much deeper into cancer tissue and can be used to treat highly aggressive skin cancer. 

In this project you will develop new multifunctional “theranostics” that both diagnose and identify cancers but also treat them through novel mechanisms that will function deep in cancer tumours. This multidisciplinary project will provide experience and training in both organic and inorganic synthesis, and a range of cell biology skills, including various forms of state-of-the-art microscopy