There is compelling evidence suggesting that the immune-modulating effects of many conventional chemotherapeutics, including Pt agents, play a crucial role in achieving clinical response. One way in which chemotherapeutics can engage a tumour-specific immune response is by triggering an immunogenic mode of tumour cell death (ICD) which then acts as a de facto anticancer vaccine. Although a mainstay of chemotherapy, there has not been a systematic attempt to screen both existing and upcoming Pt agents for their ICD ability.

There is growing consensus that the clinical therapeutic efficacy of some chemotherapeutic agents depends on its off-target immune-modulating effects. Pt anticancer drugs have earlier been identified to be potent immunomodulators of both the innate immune system as well as the adaptive immune system. Nevertheless, there has been little development in the rational design of Pt-based chemotherapeutic agents to exploit their immune-activating capabilities. FPR1/2 receptors are highly expressed in immune cells as well as many metastatic cancers.

A fluorescent probe was engineered to detect clinically-important platinum drug cisplatin within a complex cellular environment, thus providing a direct means of visualizing cell entry as well as activation of platinum(IV) prodrugs in cancer cells.