Photosensitizers[broken anchor] are molecules that rapidly destroy cells though the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) when exposed to light at specific wavelength.
PIT treatment avoids the side effects problem through the creation of a targeted-photosensitizer, which involves two components: a monoclonal antibody (mAb) which recognizes specific proteins on the surface of cancer cells, and a non-targeted photosensitizer.
The research team at Professor Kobayashi’s lab coupled anti-tumor antibodies targeting human epidermal growth factor receptors to a water soluble phthalocyanine dye, IRDye 700DX,[7] which is activated by near-infrared light.
[9] Based on the current hypothesis, cell death induced by PIT was caused by rapid expansion of local water upon the formation of holes in the membrane.
PIT is a promising highly selective and clinically feasible therapeutic method for treatment of mAb-binding tumors with minimal off-target effects.