Polish Researchers Cite Rutherrin PDT for Brain CancerPhotosensitizers for Photodynamic Therapy of Brain Cancers—A Review by Dorota Bartusik-Aebisher 1, Pawe Wonicki 2, Klaudia Dynarowicz 3, and David Aebisher 4*
1 Department of Biochemistry and General Chemistry, Medical College of the University of Rzeszw, 35-959 Rzeszw, Poland
2 Students English Division Science Club, Medical College of the University of Rzeszw, 35-959 Rzeszw, Poland
3 Center for Innovative Research in Medical & Natural Sciences, Medical College of University of Rzeszw, 35-310 Rzeszw, Poland
4 Department of Photomedicine and Physical Chemistry, Medical College of the University of Rzeszw, 35-959 Rzeszw, Poland
* Author to whom correspondence should be addressed
Received: 19 July 2023 / Revised: 6 September 2023 / Accepted: 7 September 2023 / Published: 8 September 2023
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Diagnosis and Treatment of Brain Tumors and Nervous System Tumors)
Abstract
On average, there are about 300,000 new cases of brain cancer each year. Studies have shown that brain and central nervous system tumors are among the top ten causes of death. Due to the extent of this problem and the percentage of patients suffering from brain tumors, innovative therapeutic treatment methods are constantly being sought. One such innovative therapeutic method is photodynamic therapy (PDT). Photodynamic therapy is an alternative and unique technique widely used in dermatology and other fields of medicine for the treatment of oncological and nononcological lesions. Photodynamic therapy consists of the destruction of cancer cells and inducing inflammatory changes by using laser light of a specific wavelength in combination with the application of a photosensitizer. The most commonly used photosensitizers include 5-aminolevulinic acid for the enzymatic generation of protoporphyrin IX, Temoporfin—THPC, Photofrin, Hypericin and Talaporfin. This paper reviews the photosensitizers commonly used in photodynamic therapy for brain tumors. An overview of all three generations of photosensitizers is presented. Along with an indication of the limitations of the treatment of brain tumors, intraoperative photodynamic therapy and its possibilities are described as an alternative therapeutic method.
Keywords: brain cancers; photodynamic therapy; molecular targeted therapies; photosensitizers
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3.2.6. Other Photosensitizers
This section describes other photosensitizers used in research on the treatment of brain tumors.
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The ruthenium-based photosensitizer TLD-1433 with apotransferrin (Rutherrin) was tested in a rat glioblastoma model. In the case of Rutherrin, much lower absorbed energy was sufficient to achieve the LD50 compared to 5-ALA-PDT. This photosensitizer provides a higher rate of specific uptake in tumors compared to the normal brain. After a single treatment, a significant increase in survival was observed in glioblastoma rats with Rutherrin-mediated PDT compared to PpIX. Rutherrin-PDT also showed an increased infiltration of CD8+ T cells into tumors. Rutherrin-PDT was well tolerated, providing safe and effective treatment for RG-2 glioma [93].
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93
Munegowda, M.A.; Fisher, C.; Molehuis, D.; Foltz, W.; Roufaiel, M.; Bassan, J.; Nitz, M.; Mandel, A.; Lilge, L.
Efficacy of ruthenium coordination complex-based Rutherrin in a preclinical rat glioblastoma model
Neurooncol. Adv. 2019, 1, vdz006. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]