Synthesis of chlorin e6-transferrin and demonstration of its light-dependent in vitro breast cancer cell killing ability

The transferrin receptor is often highly expressed in tumor cells whereas it is usually present at low levels in surrounding normal adult tissue. Here, a potential anti-cancer agent is described, which is directed at this receptor and consists of a toxin-modified transferrin, which is activated via photodynamic therapy. The porphyrin chlorin e6 was conjugated to transferrin using a procedure, which involved the preliminary binding of the protein to quaternary amino ethyl-sephadex. This maintained the natural activity of the transferrin, and the un-activated conjugate exhibited no in vitro cellular toxicity. The conjugate's singlet oxygen yield was estimated by assessment of its light-dependent oxidation of tetramethylbenzidine, where it displayed approximately 70% of the efficiency of native chlorin e6. When chlorin e6-transferrin treated human MCF7 and rat MTLn3 mammary adenocarcinoma cells were exposed to toxin-activating visible light, a tumor cell killing effect was achieved in normal (medium plus 10% FBS) culture conditions with an ED50 of approximate to 10-20 mug/ml. A method for the synthesis of chlorin e6-transferrin was developed, and the conjugate was shown to exhibit a light-dependent killing of mammary adenocarcinoma cells in culture. The conjugate demonstrated potential as an anti-cancer agent.