New melphalan derivatives for the treatment of retinoblastoma in combination with thermotherapy

Of the different modalities used to treat retinoblastoma, a chemothermotherapeutic regimen combining carboplatin and thermotherapy (also termed focal therapy), and the application of melphalan as a monotherapy, are particularly successful. Some studies indicate that melphalan shows potential when applied in combination with focal therapy, and yet is not applied in this combination. Here we describe a series of synthetically modified melphalan derivatives that display enhanced cytotoxicity relative to melphalan itself, with some displaying further enhancements in cytotoxicity when applied in combination with heat (used as a model for thermotherapy). The synthetic approach, which involves modifying melphalan with perfluorous chains of varying lengths via an ester linker, could lead to a more effective treatment option for retinoblastoma with reduced side-effects, which is a key limitation of melphalan. Melphalan, a drug in retinoblastoma treatment, was not designed for combination with focal therapy, but is more active when combined with heat. Incorporating perfluorous chains to the drug rsulted in thermoresponsive and increased cytotoxicity.