Delocalized Lipophilic Cation Triphenyl Phosphonium: Promising Molecule for Mitochondria Targeting.

The mitochondria are a dynamic powerhouse organelle that contributes greatly to cancer therapy. Solving the current problems that occur mostly in chemotherapy and diagnosis of various cancers targeting the Mitochondria is an implying approach. In this review, it is discussed how the tethering of mitochondrial-targeting moieties to chemotherapeutics, fluorescent dyes and photothermal molecules can enhance the anticancer effect. The most extensively used mitochondrial targeting conjugate is Triphenyl phosphonium (TPP), which is a delocalized lipophilic cation that gets easily accumulated via the endocytosis mechanism due to the decreased mitochondrial membrane potential of the cancer cell. Credited for this characteristic, TPP has been extensively investigated in targeting mitochondria and delivery of cancer theranostics. This mitochondrial targeting strategy attracted great attention in cancer targeting nanotechnology. The TPP based nanoformulation have exhibited amplified therapeutic outcomes in the treatment of various cancer. Thus, TPP is an ultimate carrier with magnificent potential as a mitochondrial targeting agent.

Dequalinium-Derived Nanoconstructs: A Promising Vehicle for Mitochondrial Targeting.

The cell's power house, mitochondrion, is a vital organelle for drug targeting in the treatment of many diseases due to its fundamental duties and function related to cell proliferation and death. The mitochondrial membrane comprises bilayer artifact and poses extremely negative potential, creating hurdles for therapeutic molecules in reaching mitochondria. To accomplish mitochondrial targeting, the scientific community has explored diverse pharmaceutical formulations like liposomes, polymeric nanoparticles (NPs), and inorganic NPs. However, the game changing technology was a modification of these carriers by mitochondriotropic moiety, dequalinium chloride (DQA) or delivering the chemotherapeutics by DQAsomes. The DQA represents a distinctive mitochondriotropic delocalized cation that displays their selectivity towards accumulation in mitochondria of carcinoma cells. Attributed to this characteristics, DQAsomes have been formulated using DQA and explored for successful mitochondrial targeting of bioactives. In this review, it is discussed the effectiveness of DQA nanocarriers which efficiently and selectively transmit the cytotoxic drug to the tumor cell. The DQA based nanoformulations have evidently displayed augmented pharmacological and therapeutic outcomes than their counterparts both in vitro and in vivo. Thus, DQAsomes symbolizes an ideal carrier with excellent potential as mitochondrial targeting agent.