ORGANOMETALLIC COMPOUND’S PHOTOTOXICITY AGAINST CANCER CELLS

Organometallic compounds have recently emerged as a hot topic in the field of cancer research owing to their unorthodox and promising therapeutic potential. One attractive development project is their phototoxicity for targeted cancer therapy. In general, these materials consist of metal-to-ligand charge transfer sensitizers and hence display very different photochemical properties than ordinary organic molecules. Objectives: In the current study, we evaluated whether organometallic compounds are appropriate to become novel photodynamic agents for photocytotoxic activity. Methods: A variety of organometallic compounds were synthesized and characterized. In vitro phototoxicity of these compounds was evaluated on various cancer cell lines. This includes measuring cell viability, apoptosis, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation after exposure to compounds in the presence of light at specific wavelengths. Conclusion: Many of the organometallic compounds examined were quite phototoxic when activated with light. The toxicity changed depending on the metal center and the nature of ligands (organic). These compounds increased ROS production and tumor cell apoptosis. Comparative studies demonstrated that certain organometallic compounds exhibited higher activity against cancer cells than the currently used photodynamic therapy (PDT) agents. Organometallic compounds can be considered strong phototoxic agents for more evolved PDT. When exposed to light, these chemicals selectively injure cancer cells and thus may provide more effective therapeutic options with fewer side effects than existing treatments. Nevertheless, more complete research is required to fine-tune such compounds and elucidate the precise mechanisms of action. The hallmarks of photodynamic anticancer effects triggered by organometallic compounds and various forms in which they gain access to the target cells are presented here.