Development of liquid-crystaline nanodispersions for topical delivery of the association of nitrosyl ruthenium complex and protoporphyrin IX in photodynamic therapy of skin cancer

Abstract

The production of nitric oxide (NO) by specific enzymes present in different kinds of animal cells has a vital importance, giving as answers vascular, neural and anti-inflammatory stimulations. Its radicalar nature gives it a great reactivity and versatility, making the understanding of its biochemistry a challenge. The NO molecule tends to react quickly with some transition metals, forming steady complexes called nitrosyl complexes, which can be used as nitric oxide generation source. The NO release from nitrosyl complexes can occur by chemical, electrochemical or photochemical reduction. Once this molecule also has antitumoral and antiviral activities, it’s clinically interesting the development of complexes that can product NO in a controlled way.Thus, this project objective is to synthesize, characterize and study the cutaneous permeation of nitrosyl ruthenium complexes that have the characteristic of absorb in the vision region and can be applied as photosensitizer in the photodynamic therapy (TFD) to the treatment of skin cancer. Specifically, we intend to incorporate the nitrosyl ruthenium complex in liquid crystalline nanodispersion, aiming to improve the permeation/penetration of the complex using in vitro diffusion cell and animal skin membrane. We also propose to study the photochemical behavior of the system, with respect to the NO liberation, aiming at a future application in TFD.