12.09.2025
Photodynamic therapy is a modern method of cancer treatment in which a patient is given a special photosensitizer molecule and the tumor is subsequently illuminated with specific light. An international team of scientists, including two experts from the Slovak Academy of Sciences, has revealed a new mechanism of targeted damage to cancer cells. The advantage of this therapy is that the destruction of these cells occurs only in the illuminated area, so systemic side effects are minimal.
“Using cutting-edge biochemical methods, we precisely identified the guanine bases that are oxidized by our molecule after light activation. We are pleased to have contributed to a discovery that advances the possibilities of photodynamic therapy and has the potential to specifically target cancer cells,” explains Ján Jamroškovič from the Institute of Molecular Biology SAS.
Existing photosensitizers have several limitations. They often contain heavy metals to improve their effect, which causes toxicity. The scientists have now developed a new substance called DBI-POE, which meets these requirements. It contains no heavy atoms and is highly soluble in water, which means it could circulate in the body without forming ineffective aggregates.
“Such a targeted approach could bring more effective and gentler cancer treatments. I am glad that I can now make use of the experience I gained abroad here in Slovakia and contribute to such a significant discovery,” adds Ján Jamroškovič.
The results of the research, published in the prestigious journal Nanoscale Horizons (2025), represent the first evidence that a photodynamic compound can selectively target and destroy specific DNA structures in this way. This principle could open the door to new anticancer therapies that are activated only after the drug binds to a characteristic “defect” in the cancer cell, thereby maximizing the effect on the tumor and minimizing damage to healthy cells.
Additional information:
Researchers from four European countries – Slovakia, Poland, France, and Spain – collaborated on the study. A major contribution also came from scientists at the Institute of Molecular Biology SAS in Bratislava – Ján Jamroškovič and Maria Vittoria Cottini. The Slovak team performed important experiments to precisely determine which guanines in the DNA structure are damaged by the photosensitizer. Ján Jamroškovič spent nearly a decade at leading international institutions (EPFL Lausanne, Switzerland; Umeå University, Sweden), where he studied DNA structures and participated in the development of compounds targeting DNA in cancer cells (one of which led to an international patent in cancer treatment). In 2023, he received the prestigious Impulz grant and returned to Slovakia to establish his own research group at the Institute of Molecular Biology SAS. His team now focuses on using DNA structures in bacterial genetic engineering – combining knowledge of DNA structures with the development of new biotechnological solutions.
Source: https://www.sav.sk/?lang=sk&doc=services-news&source_no=20&news_no=13049&fbclid=IwY2xjawM0n2dleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHshnWJAOqLte03tbsJdn8-tI5x4JzWUyqvM3TBIMi-CJIVeGDyVyZsd2K-Uk_aem_oepDzTark63HG4UNslVHDw
