Soon I hope we have our coming out party ! Tick Toc ! The World Health Organization reports that cancer is responsible for approximately 10 million deaths each year, making it the second leading cause of mortality worldwide.1, 2 Currently, the main clinical treatments for cancer are cytoreductive or suppressive therapies based on surgical resection, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, or a combination of these therapies. Due to the risk of recurrence, tumor invasiveness, and side effects caused by the lack of tumor-specific targeting, the efficacy of these treatments remains inadequate.3, 4 As a result, the emergence of new therapies has been driven by clinical need.5, 6 Several laser-based therapies, including photodynamic therapy (PDT) and photothermal therapy (PTT), have also been developed based on the concept of precision tumors treatment.
PDT is a promising noninvasive therapy that has demonstrated distinct advantages in recent years for combating bacteria,7, 8 fungi,9, 10 viruses,11, 12 and particularly cancers.13-15 Compared with traditional therapeutics (e.g., surgery), PDT has the following advantages: (i) minimally invasive nature, (ii) few side effects, (iii) high temporal and spatial controllability, and (iv) no obvious drug resistance.16 In practice, photosensitizers (PSs) enriched near tumor cells can be activated by irradiation with specific wavelengths of light, resulting in the generation of reactive oxygen (O2) species (ROS). These ROS include singlet oxygen (1O2), superoxide anion radicals (O2•−), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), and hydroxyl radicals (•OH), which kill tumors mainly by inducing apoptosis or necrosis.17, 18
PSs, light, and O2 are indispensable in PDT. Therefore, they are termed the three elements of PDT, and PSs are considered as key factors affecting the efficacy of PDT. It is generally believed that ideal PSs should have the advantages of a single component, high stability, low dark toxicity, high solubility, high intersystem channeling efficiency, and selective retention in the target tissue.16, 19 The excitation wavelengths of mainstream PSs are all distributed in the range of 600−900 nm, which is known as the biological window and is the least absorbed by water and biomolecules; therefore, this type of light can penetrate and reach deep tissues.20 In addition, the ground-state PS absorbs photon energy, transitions to the excited triplet state, and then produces cytotoxic ROS, in which molecular O2 is an essential reaction substrate for PDT, and sufficient O2 is very important for the efficiency of PDT.21 Unfortunately, in solid tumors, the tumor microenvironment (TME) is characterized by overall hypoxia due to the rapid growth of tumor tissue, high volume expansion, and an incomplete vascular system inside the tissue.22 Currently, most PSs reported in the literature are type II PSs that produce type II ROS (i.e., 1O2) through energy transfer. The effect of this PS is highly dependent on the O2 concentration in the environment; therefore, a lack of O2 in the TME seriously affects the therapeutic effect of PDT. On the contrary, type I PSs produce ROS (including O2•−, H2O2, and •OH) through electron or proton transfer, which is less dependent on O2 and can effectively kill tumor cells, even in the absence of O2. This contributes to the recognized advantages of PDT anticancer treatment.
Photodynamic therapy for cancer: mechanisms, photosensitizers, nanocarriers, and clinical studies - Zhao - 2024 - MedComm - Wiley Online Library
“This latest update on our bladder cancer clinical study continues to strengthen our understanding of the potency of RuvidarTM in the destruction of bladder cancer.” Roger DuMoulin-White, CEO of Theralase® Technologies, said in a press release. “It is a very effective drug and when activated by laser light, even more effective, providing both high efficacy and a high safety profile for patients.”
The study’s primary endpoint was achieved by 60.3 per cent of all patients treated, which is well above the 50 per cent guideline specified by the International Bladder Cancer Group (a consortium of top uro-oncologists from around the world). The interim, intent-to-treat analysis demonstrates that 26.5 per cent of all evaluable patients were able to maintain a CR for 12 months or more.
According to the interim clinical data, the median duration of response is 13.1 months +/- 3.0.
According to Kaplan-Meier’s Curve (estimation of duration of response), the duration of response at 12 months is ≥ 47.8 per cent, at 24 months is ≥ 42.6 per cent and at 36 months is ≥ 35.6 per cent.
Latest data from bladder cancer study to propel future growth | 2024-10-10 | Investing News | Stockhouse