This technology is a novel class of ROS (Reactive Oxygen Species)-sensitive linkers and related prodrugs designed for the targeted treatment of cancer and infectious diseases. This technology utilizes the elevated ROS levels present in diseased tissues to selectively activate therapeutic compounds, enabling precise drug release at the site of illness. Two anticancer agents, Floxuridine (Flox) and SN-38, have been successfully adapted into this prodrug system, demonstrating controlled stability and rapid activation in ROS-rich environments, such as cancer cells (e.g., HeLa cells). An infectious disease-targeting prodrug, incorporating an agent with known activity against Ebola virus and SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19), also shows excellent ROS-selective activation.
In 2022, 20 million new cases of cancer were reported worldwide, and 9.7 million cancer deaths were reported. Existing cancer drugs often face limitations such as severe side effects, drug resistance, and high production costs. At the same time, infectious diseases remain a leading global threat, accounting for approximately one in every three deaths. In 1990 alone, 17 million deaths were due to communicable diseases. These numbers highlight the urgent need for more effective, targeted therapies that can selectively act at disease sites while minimizing harm to healthy tissue.
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