Carbon monoxide is a life-threatening toxic gas, but it also performs important reparative functions in the body. Until now, its use in therapy has been hindered by the challenge associated with its administration. A possible solution is to administer carbon monoxide using a novel molecular carrier. Prof. Petr Klán and his team have been working on such a molecule allowing the release of carbon monoxide in target tissues by using light. Their research was published in the prestigious Journal of Organic Chemistry in March 2022 and selected for the ACS Editors' Choice.
Carbon monoxide is mainly known as a product of incomplete combustion and a life-threatening toxic gas. Carbon monoxide forms an extremely strong bond with hemoglobin in red blood cells, more than 200 times as strong as with oxygen; this prevents oxygen from binding to the red blood cells and distributing oxygen to the tissues and thus leads to asphyxiation. However, less well known are its therapeutic effects, the clinical use of which has been investigated in several studies. Carbon monoxide is an important signaling molecule involved in the regulation of many physiological and pathophysiological processes. Through its involvement in the regulation of signaling pathways within cells, it exerts anti-inflammatory, anticoagulant, and antiproliferative effects that may be used, for example, in the treatment of malignant tumors or following organ transplantation.
The main problem preventing its use in therapy is associated with its administration. For example, while delivering the gas by inhalation is relatively simple, it presents several disadvantages, including its non-targeted action and acute toxicity. A possible solution to circumvent this problem is administering carbon monoxide using novel molecular carriers that allow its release at a specific location and time. The preparation of such molecules, so-called photoCORMs (i.e., light-activated carbon monoxide releasing molecules) allowing the release of carbon monoxide by using light, is the research focus of Prof. Petr Klán and his team. The team has synthesized molecules capable of releasing carbon monoxide in a controlled manner. In collaboration with Prof. Libor Vitek's team from Charles University, they have tested them in model cell cultures.
The research was published in the prestigious Journal of Organic Chemistry in March 2022 and featured in the ACS Editors' Choice. The ACS Editors' Choice is a selection of the most interesting articles for the scientific community. Furthermore, the article was also last month’s most-read article.
The scientific article was published in Journal of Organic Chemistry.
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From November 5–7, 2024, we participated in the annual meeting of the European consortium ACTRIS. This event serves as a key platform for regular partner meetings, fostering collaboration, sharing the latest updates and experiences, and discussing critical topics related to the development and operation of the ACTRIS research infrastructure.
