Anti-tumor activities of a novel chlorin derivative for photodynamic therapy in vitro and in vivo

In this study, a novel photosensitizer meso-tetra (3-pyrrolidinomethyl-4-methoxyphenyl) chlorin (TPMC) was reported. It displays a characteristic long wavelength absorption peak at 656 nm and it shows a singlet oxygen quantum yield of 0.48. After light irradiation with 650 nm laser, it can kill Eca-109 and SMMC-7721 cells in vitro (25 mW/cm2, 1.2 to 3.6 J/cm2) and destroy Eca-109 tumor in nude mice (50 mW/cm2, 90 J/cm2). It has the perspective to be developed as a new anti-tumor drug in photodynamic therapy (PDT) photodiagnosis, and deserves further investigation.