Shedding light on platinum chemotherapy: a new mechanistic approach

<p>Platinum-based drugs are the workhorses of cancer chemotherapy. Nevertheless, their mode of action is not fully understood, they have severe side-effects, and a significant number of patients do not respond to treatment. New platinum drugs that can be ‘switched on’ by light irradiation at a tumour site, represent a promising alternative to traditional platinum drugs.</p>
<p>I will investigate the ways in which clinically-established and novel platinum drugs exert their anti-cancer activity, combining radionuclide imaging in animal models with genetic testing to identify their cellular/molecular targets. I will use these findings to develop complexes that can be photoactivated and have reduced side-effects and enhanced efficacy upon irradiation by attaching to antibodies targeting cancer cells and chromophores, respectively.</p>
<p>This project will enhance our understanding of the mode of action of platinum drugs and contribute to the development of safer chemotherapeutic treatments with a better patient-therapy match.</p>