Organic Carbon Monoxide Prodrugs Activated by Endogenous Reactive Oxygen Species for Targeted Delivery.

ABSTRACT: Carbon monoxide (CO) has demonstrated therapeutic benefits in reactive oxygen species (ROS)-rich environments, such as inflammation and cancer. However, the targeted delivery of CO remains challenging, limiting its clinical application and necessitating the development of improved CO-prodrugs. Herein, we report a radical-activated, metal-free, CO-prodrug designed to address delivery limitations and avoid metal-associated toxicity. This tertiary aldehyde-based prodrug is stable under physiological conditions and, upon activation by a radical trigger, releases CO, 2-ethyl-1-butene, and a nontoxic thiol carrier. The stability of the CO-prodrug building block allows for its incorporation into synthetic peptides via solid-phase peptide synthesis and site-specific bioconjugation to therapeutic a

SUBMITTER: Cernauskiene I 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12272688 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature