Synthesis, Tumor Specificity, and Photosensitizing Efficacy of Erlotinib-Conjugated Chlorins and Bacteriochlorins: Identification of a Highly Effective Candidate for Photodynamic Therapy of Cancer

• Published in: Journal of medicinal chemistry 2021-01, Vol.64 (1), p.741-767
• Main Authors: Cheruku, Ravindra R, Cacaccio, Joseph, Durrani, Farukh A, Tabaczynski, Walter A, Watson, Ramona, Siters, Kevin, Missert, Joseph R, Tracy, Erin C, Dukh, Mykhaylo, Guru, Khurshid, Koya, Richard C, Kalinski, Pawel, Baumann, Heinz, Pandey, Ravindra K
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Cell Line, Tumor; Cell Survival - drug effects; Coculture Techniques; Erlotinib Hydrochloride - chemistry; Female; Head and Neck Neoplasms - drug therapy; Head and Neck Neoplasms - mortality; Head and Neck Neoplasms - pathology; Humans; Mice; Mice, SCID; Photochemotherapy; Photosensitizing Agents - chemical synthesis; Photosensitizing Agents - chemistry; Photosensitizing Agents - pharmacology; Photosensitizing Agents - therapeutic use; Porphyrins - chemistry; Stereoisomerism; Structure-Activity Relationship; Survival Rate
• ISSN: 0022-2623; 1520-4804; 1520-4804
• DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.0c01735

Erlotinib was covalently linked to 3-(1'-hexyloxy)ethyl-3-devinylpyropheophorbide-a (HPPH) and structurally related chlorins and bacteriochlorins at different positions of the tetrapyrrole ring. The functional consequence of each modification was determined by quantifying the uptake and subcellular deposition of the erlotinib conjugates, cellular response to therapeutic light treatment in tissue cultures, and in eliminating of corresponding tumors grown as a xenograft in SCID mice. The experimental human cancer models the established cell lines UMUC3 (bladder), FaDu (hypopharynx), and primary cultures of head and neck tumor cells. The effectiveness of the compounds was compared to that of HPPH. Furthermore, specific functional contribution of the carboxylic acid side group at position 17 and the chiral methyl group at 3(1') to the overall activity of the chimeric compounds was assessed. Among the conjugates investigated, the PS was identified as the most effective candidate for achieving tumor cell-specific accumulation and yielding improved long-term tumor control.