Laser Irradiated Phenothiazines - Application in Breast Cancer Treatment
Summary
Cancer is responsible for one out of every six fatalities worldwide and is set to become the leading cause of mortality by 2020.
Chemotherapy, radiation, surgery, and a combination of the three are the most common breast cancer therapies. The quality of life in cancer treatment is diminished due to significant side effects and chemotherapy-related toxicities. Multiple drug-resistant breast cancers necessitate the development of novel, more effective, and faster-acting treatments with fewer adverse effects. Genetic profiling of malignant tumours may assist in the creation of individualized therapies. Cancer research requires specific treatment procedures as well as data mining. This project will be a step forward toward narrowing the cancer research gap in the computer-assisted identification of molecules with anticancer characteristics that are generated as photoproducts by the laser irradiation of medicine.
Using in silico techniques and laser radiation, this research will offer a novel approach for repositioning phenothiazines. In this project, we will (i) use molecular docking to anticipate the biological activity of phenothiazines with cancer-targeted receptors; (ii) describe physicochemically the phenothiazine derivative cocktails before and after laser irradiation at various times; and (iii) evaluate the non-irradiated and laser-irradiated phenothiazines in vitro.
Expected results
1. Finding the phenothiazine derivative that inhibits the MCF7 breast cancer cell line using molecular docking.
2. Laser irradiation of the previously identified compound and evaluation of the time stability of the mixture formed by the irradiated phenothiazine and the generated photoproducts.
3. Identifying the most effective therapy to deal with the MCF7 cell line (dose, irradiated or non-irradiated phenothiazine, irradiation time, etc.).