Porphyrins and Their Binding in Human Plasma
Author Information
Author(s): M. Kongshaug, J. Moan, S.B. Brown
Primary Institution: Institute for Cancer Research, The Norwegian Radium Hospital
Hypothesis
Is there a correlation between the lipophilicity of porphyrins and their binding capacity to low density lipoprotein (LDL)?
Conclusion
The study found no correlation between the tumor localizing ability of porphyrins and their affinity for LDL.
Supporting Evidence
- The binding of porphyrins to LDL increases with lipophilicity.
- TPPS4, a known tumor localizer, has low affinity for LDL.
- Hp and Pp, which bind well to LDL, are considered inefficient tumor localizers.
Takeaway
This study looked at how different porphyrins, which are used in cancer treatment, bind to proteins in human blood. It found that just because a porphyrin binds well to LDL doesn't mean it will work well in targeting tumors.
Methodology
The distribution of porphyrins among human plasma proteins was determined using ultracentrifugation.
Limitations
The study did not measure thermodynamic affinities, only relative distributions.
Participant Demographics
Fresh human plasma was used from a healthy person who had fasted overnight.
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