Expanded porphyrins. Synthetic materials with potential medical utility

A number of aromatic and nonaromatic expanded porphyrins have been prepared in the authors' laboratories. These are allowing a number of important the mes to be explored, including the construction of novel cation- and anion-c omplexing agents and the generation of drug candidates with considerable th erapeutic potential. In this paper, the use of gadolinium(III) and lutetium (III) texaphyrin derivatives as, respectively, adjuvants for X-ray radiatio n cancer therapy and photosensitizers for use in photodynamic treatments of cancer, atheromatous plaque, and age-related macular degeneration will be reviewed. Also discussed are the use of water soluble sapphyrins as potenti al fluorescent phosphate sensors and organic soluble 2,3-dipyrrylquinoxalin e derivatives as possible fluoride anion signaling agents. Recent synthetic work, designed to produce expanded porphyrins with new shapes and novel to pologies, is also summarized.