Laser Research Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, South Africa.
Anticancer Agents Med Chem. 2021;21(2):137-148. doi: 10.2174/1871520620666200415102321.
Colorectal Cancer (CRC) has a high mortality rate and is one of the most difficult diseases to manage due to tumour resistance and metastasis. The treatment of choice for CRC is reliant on the phase and time of diagnosis. Despite several conventional treatments available to treat CRC (surgical excision, chemo-, radiationand immune-therapy), resistance is a major challenge, especially if it has metastasized. Additionally, these treatments often cause unwanted adverse side effects and so it remains imperative to investigate alternative combination therapies. Photodynamic Therapy (PDT) is a promising treatment modality for the primary treatment of CRC, since it is non-invasive, has few side effects and selectively damages only cancerous tissues, leaving adjacent healthy structures intact. PDT involves three fundamentals: a Photosensitizer (PS) drug localized in tumour tissues, oxygen, and light. Upon PS excitation using a specific wavelength of light, an energy transfer cascade occurs, that ultimately yields cytotoxic species, which in turn induces cell death. Cannabidiol (CBD) is a cannabinoid compound derived from the Cannabis sativa plant, which has shown to exert anticancer effects on CRC through different pathways, inducing apoptosis and so inhibiting tumour metastasis and secondary spread. This review paper highlights current conventional treatment modalities for CRC and their limitations, as well as discusses the necessitation for further investigation into unconventional active nanoparticle targeting PDT treatments for enhanced primary CRC treatment. This can be administered in combination with CBD, to prevent CRC secondary spread and enhance the synergistic efficacy of CRC treatment outcomes, with less side effects.
结直肠癌（CRC）死亡率高，由于肿瘤耐药和转移，是最难治疗的疾病之一。CRC 的治疗选择取决于诊断的阶段和时间。尽管有几种传统的治疗 CRC 的方法（手术切除、化疗、放疗和免疫疗法），但耐药性是一个主要挑战，特别是如果已经转移。此外，这些治疗方法常常会引起不必要的不良反应，因此，研究替代联合治疗方法仍然至关重要。光动力疗法（PDT）是治疗 CRC 的一种很有前途的治疗方法，因为它是非侵入性的，副作用少，只选择性地损伤癌组织，而使相邻的健康结构保持完整。PDT 涉及三个基本要素：定位在肿瘤组织中的光敏剂（PS）药物、氧和光。PS 用特定波长的光激发后，会发生能量转移级联反应，最终产生细胞毒性物质，从而诱导细胞死亡。大麻二酚（CBD）是一种源自大麻植物的大麻素化合物，它通过不同途径对 CRC 表现出抗癌作用，通过诱导细胞凋亡来抑制肿瘤转移和二次扩散。本文综述了目前 CRC 的常规治疗方法及其局限性，并讨论了进一步研究非传统活性纳米颗粒靶向 PDT 治疗以增强原发性 CRC 治疗的必要性。这种治疗可以与 CBD 联合使用，以防止 CRC 的二次扩散，并增强 CRC 治疗效果的协同作用，同时减少副作用。
