Fighting cancer with light – New approach presented – Heilpraxis

Extended photodynamic therapy to treat cancer

At the so-called photodynamic therapy for the treatment of Cancer Using light, the active ingredients are targeted directly on the tumor activated. So far, the method can only be used to a limited extent because the principle places high demands on an active substance. However, a Japanese research team has now succeeded breakthrough in this area.

A working group of University of Tokyo Institute of Industrial Sciences presented a new photodynamic approach to cancer treatment. The results of the study were recently published in the journal “Chemical communications” gifts.

What are photodynamic therapies?

Photodynamic therapy is currently only used for external tumors that have not penetrated the skin more than three millimeters. The treatment is considered relatively gentle, as healthy tissue is largely unaffected.

Acidic environment inhibits effectiveness

In an application against internal tumors, however, the research groups encountered previously insurmountable obstacles, as the potential active ingredients must penetrate the tissues. Red light be activated and on the other hand in a low oxygen environment function usually present in tumours.

However, conventional photodynamic techniques have so far been limited to the formation reactive oxygen species responsible for destroying tumor cells. This low oxygen environment cancer cells, however, thwarted the formation of such radicals.

Alkyl radicals do not depend on oxygen

With the new method, the ace Photo-decaging system is called, the researchers tackle this problem by administering the active ingredient in an inactive form and only acting on the spot using red light.

In doing so, supposedly alkyl radicals published. These radicals, unlike oxygen radicals, can cause cell death both in the presence of oxygen and in the absence of oxygen. For the first time, the working group used molecules called “Organorhodium(III) phthalocyanine (Pc) complexes“to be designated.

A red light laser activates the complexes

“The complexes we have developed are very stable during synthesis, purification and measurement under ambient light, but can be activated by a laser that emits pulses of red light at the nanosecond scale”explains the first author of the study Kei Murata.

Moreover, these lasers, which emit pulses in a billionth of a second, are relatively easy to use, according to Murata.

First successes

In the laboratory, the team has already been able to demonstrate that the active ingredients released by activating the organorhodium(III) phthalocyanine (Pc) complexes using a red light laser effectively kill cancer cells to be able.

“Our new technology could enable the photochemical generation of a variety of alkyl radicals and aldehydes, enabling the local release of various bioactive molecules”summarizes the author of the study Kazuyuki Ishii.

According to the research team, the presented model represents an improvement over other photo-decaging systems and opens up new avenues for cancer treatment. phototherapy. (vb)