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Pharmaceutics
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Combination Approaches in Photodynamic Therapies for Cancer
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Combination Approaches in Photodynamic Therapies for Cancer

A special issue of Pharmaceutics (ISSN 1999-4923). This special issue belongs to the section "Nanomedicine and Nanotechnology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 May 2024 | Viewed by 8987

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Rahul Chandran

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Laser Research Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Johannesburg, P.O. Box 17011, Johannesburg 2028, South Africa
Interests: photodynamic therapy; phytomedicine; diabetes; antioxidants; cancer; cancer stem cells; stem cell differentiation

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Cancer has always been a concern among people and a challenge for scientists and researchers around the world. This is due to its treatment resistance and recurrence. With increasing cases of cancer each year, it has become important to focus on emerging techniques for effective cancer therapy. Photodynamic therapy is one such advanced approach that is gaining interest worldwide due to its post-treatment results and less invasive nature. However, to improve results further and to increase life expectancy among patients, other fields of research are focusing on combination therapies with light. The use of nanoparticles, plant compounds, certain metal complexes, and antibodies in laser therapy has increased the treatment efficacy of cancer cells while causing minimal side effects in normal cells. This special issue is designed to motivate researchers to share their opinions, novel concepts, reviews, and research articles on cancer therapy using photodynamic therapy along with other advanced combination approaches from nanotechnology, phytomedicine and chemistry.

Dr. Rahul Chandran
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

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Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • photodynamic therapy
  • photosensitizers
  • cancer
  • reactive oxygen species
  • cancer stem cells
  • nanoparticles
  • metal complexes
  • nanoconjugates
  • tumor microenvironment
  • phytotherapy
  • plant compounds
  • immune targeting
  • drug resistance
  • spheroids
  • combination therapy
  • apoptosis
  • cell death markers

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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16 pages, 9178 KiB  
Article
The Remodulation of Actin Bundles during the Stimulation of Mitochondria in Adult Human Fibroblasts in Response to Light
by Soňa Olejárová, Denis Horváth and Veronika Huntošová
Pharmaceutics 2024, 16(1), 20; https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics16010020 - 22 Dec 2023
Viewed by 773
Abstract
β-actin belongs to cytoskeletal structures that change dynamically in cells according to various stimuli. Human skin can be considered as an organ that is very frequently exposed to various stress factors, of which light plays an important role. The present study focuses on [...] Read more.
β-actin belongs to cytoskeletal structures that change dynamically in cells according to various stimuli. Human skin can be considered as an organ that is very frequently exposed to various stress factors, of which light plays an important role. The present study focuses on adult human fibroblasts exposed to two types of light stress. Orange light with a wavelength of 590 nm was used here to stimulate the photosensitizer localized in the cells as a residual dose of photodynamic therapy (PDT). On the other hand, near-infrared light with a wavelength of 808 nm was considered for photobiomodulation (PBM), which is often used in healing processes. Confocal fluorescence microscopy was used to observe changes in intercellular communication, mitochondrial structures, and cytoskeletal dynamics defined by the remodulation of β-actin of fibroblasts. The number of β-actin bundles forming spherical structures was detected after light exposure. These structures as β-actin oligomers were confirmed with super-resolution microscopy. While PDT led to the disintegration of actin oligomers, PBM increased their number. The interaction of β-actin with mitochondria was observed. The combination of PDT and PBM treatments is important to minimize the side effects of cancer treatment with PDT on healthy cells, as shown by the cell metabolism assay in this work. In this work, β-actin is presented as an important parameter that changes and is involved in the response of cells to PDT and PBM. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Combination Approaches in Photodynamic Therapies for Cancer)
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11 pages, 1338 KiB  
Article
Photodynamic Therapy for X-ray-Induced Radiation-Resistant Cancer Cells
by Hiromu Ito, Yoshimi Shoji, Megumi Ueno, Ken-ichiro Matsumoto and Ikuo Nakanishi
Pharmaceutics 2023, 15(11), 2536; https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics15112536 - 26 Oct 2023
Viewed by 1222
Abstract
Radiotherapy, in which X-rays are commonly used, is one of the most effective procedures for treating cancer. However, some cancer cells become resistant to radiation therapy, leading to poor prognosis. Therefore, a new therapeutic method is required to prevent cancer cells from acquiring [...] Read more.
Radiotherapy, in which X-rays are commonly used, is one of the most effective procedures for treating cancer. However, some cancer cells become resistant to radiation therapy, leading to poor prognosis. Therefore, a new therapeutic method is required to prevent cancer cells from acquiring radiation resistance. Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a cancer treatment that uses photosensitizers, such as porphyrin compounds, and low-powered laser irradiation. We previously reported that reactive oxygen species (ROS) derived from mitochondria induce the expression of a porphyrin transporter (HCP1) and that laser irradiation enhances the cytotoxic effect. In addition, X-ray irradiation induces the production of mitochondrial ROS. Therefore, radioresistant cancer cells established with continuous X-ray irradiation would also overexpress ROS, and photodynamic therapy could be an effective therapeutic method. In this study, we established radioresistant cancer cells and examined the therapeutic effects and mechanisms with photodynamic therapy. We confirmed that X-ray-resistant cells showed overgeneration of mitochondrial ROS and elevated expression of HCP1, which led to the active accumulation of porphyrin and an increase in cytotoxicity with laser irradiation. Thus, photodynamic therapy is a promising treatment for X-ray-resistant cancers. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Combination Approaches in Photodynamic Therapies for Cancer)
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15 pages, 2535 KiB  
Article
Cationic BODIPY Photosensitizers for Mitochondrion-Targeted Fluorescence Cell-Imaging and Photodynamic Therapy
by Isabel Wen Badon, Jun-Pil Jee, Temmy Pegarro Vales, Chanwoo Kim, Seungbin Lee, Jaesung Yang, Si Kyung Yang and Ho-Joong Kim
Pharmaceutics 2023, 15(5), 1512; https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics15051512 - 16 May 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2489
Abstract
The straightforward synthesis of three cationic boron-dipyrromethene (BODIPY) derivatives and their mitochondria-targeting and photodynamic therapeutic (PDT) capabilities are reported. Two cancer cell lines (HeLa and MCF-7) were used to investigate the PDT activity of the dyes. Compared to their non-halogenated counterparts, halogenated BODIPY [...] Read more.
The straightforward synthesis of three cationic boron-dipyrromethene (BODIPY) derivatives and their mitochondria-targeting and photodynamic therapeutic (PDT) capabilities are reported. Two cancer cell lines (HeLa and MCF-7) were used to investigate the PDT activity of the dyes. Compared to their non-halogenated counterparts, halogenated BODIPY dyes exhibit lower fluorescence quantum yields and enable the efficient production of singlet oxygen species. Following LED light irradiation at 520 nm, the synthesized dyes displayed good PDT capabilities against the treated cancer cell lines, with low cytotoxicity in the dark. In addition, functionalization of the BODIPY backbone with a cationic ammonium moiety enhanced the hydrophilicity of the synthesized dyes and, consequently, their uptake by the cells. The results presented here collectively demonstrate the potential of cationic BODIPY-based dyes as therapeutic drugs for anticancer photodynamic therapy. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Combination Approaches in Photodynamic Therapies for Cancer)
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14 pages, 4146 KiB  
Article
Effect of Hypericin-Mediated Photodynamic Therapy on the Secretion of Soluble TNF Receptors by Oral Cancer Cells
by Marcin Olek, Agnieszka Machorowska-Pieniążek, Zenon P. Czuba, Grzegorz Cieślar and Aleksandra Kawczyk-Krupka
Pharmaceutics 2023, 15(4), 1279; https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics15041279 - 19 Apr 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1278
Abstract
Squamous cell carcinoma is the most common cancer of the head and neck region. In addition to the classic surgical treatment method, alternative therapy methods are sought. One such method is photodynamic therapy (PDT). In addition to the direct cytotoxic effect, it is [...] Read more.
Squamous cell carcinoma is the most common cancer of the head and neck region. In addition to the classic surgical treatment method, alternative therapy methods are sought. One such method is photodynamic therapy (PDT). In addition to the direct cytotoxic effect, it is essential to determine the effect of PDT on persistent tumor cells. The study used the SCC-25 oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) cell line and the HGF-1 healthy gingival fibroblast line. A compound of natural origin—hypericin (HY)—was used as a photosensitizer (PS) at concentrations of 0–1 µM. After two hours of incubation with the PS, the cells were irradiated with light doses of 0–20 J/cm2. The 3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) test was used to determine sublethal doses of PDT. Cell supernatants subjected to sublethal PDT were assessed for soluble tumor necrosis alpha receptors (sTNF-R1, sTNF-R2). The phototoxic effect was observed starting with a light dose of 5 J/cm2 and amplified with the increase in HY concentration and light dose. A statistically significant increase in sTNF-R1 secretion by SCC-25 cells was demonstrated after the PDT with 0.5 µM HY and irradiation with 2 J/cm2 (sTNF-R1 concentration = 189.19 pg/mL ± 2.60) compared to the control without HY and irradiated with the same dose of light (sTNF-R1 concentration = 108.94 pg/mL ± 0.99). The baseline production of sTNF-R1 was lower for HGF-1 than for SCC-25, and secretion was not affected by the PDT. The PDT had no effect on the sTNF-R2 production in the SCC-25 or HGF-1 lines. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Combination Approaches in Photodynamic Therapies for Cancer)
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Review

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34 pages, 8157 KiB  
Review
Advanced Light Source Technologies for Photodynamic Therapy of Skin Cancer Lesions
by José Francisco Algorri, José Miguel López-Higuera, Luís Rodríguez-Cobo and Adolfo Cobo
Pharmaceutics 2023, 15(8), 2075; https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics15082075 - 03 Aug 2023
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2450
Abstract
Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is an increasingly popular dermatological treatment not only used for life-threatening skin conditions and other tumors but also for cosmetic purposes. PDT has negligible effects on underlying functional structures, enabling tissue regeneration feasibility. PDT uses a photosensitizer (PS) and visible [...] Read more.
Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is an increasingly popular dermatological treatment not only used for life-threatening skin conditions and other tumors but also for cosmetic purposes. PDT has negligible effects on underlying functional structures, enabling tissue regeneration feasibility. PDT uses a photosensitizer (PS) and visible light to create cytotoxic reactive oxygen species, which can damage cellular organelles and trigger cell death. The foundations of modern photodynamic therapy began in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and in recent times, it has gained more attention due to the development of new sources and PSs. This review focuses on the latest advancements in light technology for PDT in treating skin cancer lesions. It discusses recent research and developments in light-emitting technologies, their potential benefits and drawbacks, and their implications for clinical practice. Finally, this review summarizes key findings and discusses their implications for the use of PDT in skin cancer treatment, highlighting the limitations of current approaches and providing insights into future research directions to improve both the efficacy and safety of PDT. This review aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of PDT for skin cancer treatment, covering various aspects ranging from the underlying mechanisms to the latest technological advancements in the field. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Combination Approaches in Photodynamic Therapies for Cancer)
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