Improved Uptake of Drugs for Cancer Treatment by Cyclodextrin Carriers

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SELECTBIO

Cyclodextrins are known to solubilize a great variety of drugs. Binding constants K generally reach 104 M-1 but higher values (105 M-1 – 107 M-1) are necessary to deliver highly potent drugs to a certain destination in the body without loosing them on the way. The binding ability of CDs was increased by substitution of the primary hydroxyls with thioether groups. We synthesized a library of per-6-thio-6-deoxy-CDs, which are able to complex even very highly hydrophobic molecules, like C60 as well as betulin and camptothecin in water, leading to highly water-soluble complexes, potentially applicable for cancer treatment.