A therapeutic approach combining three complementary modes of action to eliminate tumor cells has been discovered by the group of Prof. Gilles Gasser at the Institute of Chemistry for Life and Health Sciences at Chimie ParisTech – PSL in collaboration with Prof. Dan Gibson (Institute for Drug Research, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem).
This consortium of researchers has successfully prepared a new conjugate combining an osmium complex, a platinum complex, and ceritinib, an approved cancer drug. This strategy combines three complementary actions within a single drug to enhance its therapeutic efficacy: 1) photodynamic therapy, 2) controlled release of a chemotherapy agent, and 3) induction of immunogenic cell death (ICD). When activated by light, the conjugate produces reactive oxygen species, generating local toxicity for cancer cells, while releasing a platinum derivative active against cancer cells. At the same time, they trigger biological signals characteristic of immunogenic cell death, promoting the recognition of tumor cells by the immune system. Promising results have been obtained in the laboratory on spheroid models of ovarian cancer, demonstrating that this conjugate reduces the growth of these tumor models while inducing immunotherapeutic responses. This integrated approach opens new perspectives for developing more effective therapies for resistant cancers.
This research illustrates the strength of international collaborations and the contribution of inorganic chemistry to medical innovation. The study has been accepted for publication in Angewandte Chemie International Edition. The article is available on clicking on this link: https://doi.org/10.1002/anie.202518623
