In many types of solid tumors, the metastatic incidence remains the primary cause of mortality in cancer patients. Nowadays, cytostatic drugs are commonly used in the treatment of cancer, which unfortunately only affect the uncontrolled proliferation of malignant cells. New anti-cancer therapeutic approaches aimed specifically against invasiveness and metastasis are still lacking. Migrastatic strategies represent a unique therapeutic approach preventing the development of systemic malignant disease and limiting cancer-related death. As the migration machinery has been shown to promote metastatic dissemination, a successful migrastatic therapy may reduce the need for high-dose cytotoxic therapies currently used to prevent the risk of metastatic dissemination, which can be beneficial to a patient's well-being. The best targets for migrastatic therapy would be those that are required by all forms of motility, such as ATP availability, mitochondrial metabolism, and cytoskeleton rearrangement.Pentamethinium salts (PMS) are a group of compounds characterized by fluorescence and variable cytotoxicity depending on the structure of the molecule and can play an important role in influencing the migration potential of tumor cells. PMS exhibit exceptional affinity and selectivity for cardiolipin in the inner mitochondrial membrane and have excellent photostability, fluorescence properties and low phototoxicity. The main aim of this project is to find a PMS with high migrastatic and antiproliferative potential toward cancer cells.

Sustainable Development Goals

Masaryk University is committed to the UN Sustainable Development Goals, which aim to improve the conditions and quality of life on our planet by 2030.