Aniogo Eric Chekwube, George Blassan P, Abrahamse Heidi
Laser Research Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Johannesburg, P.O. Box 17011, Doornfontein 2028, South Africa.
Biomedicines. 2023 May 26;11(6):1547. doi: 10.3390/biomedicines11061547.
Cancer resistance is a primary concern in cancer treatment, and developing an effective modality or strategy to improve therapeutic outcomes is imperative. Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a treatment modality that targets the tumor with a photoactive molecule and light for the specific destruction of cancer cells. Photobiomodulation (PBM) is a light exposure of cells to energize their biomolecules to respond to therapy. In the present study, we used PBM to mediate and improve the anti-tumor efficacy of zinc phthalocyanine tetrasulfonic acid (ZnPcS4)-PDT on resistant MCF-7 breast cancer cells and explore molecular changes associated with cell death. Different laser irradiation models were used for PBM and PDT combination. The combined treatment demonstrated an additive effect on the viability and Annexin-V/PI-staining cell death assessed through MTT assay and mitochondrial release of cytochrome c. Rhodamine (Rh123) showed increased affinity to mitochondrial disruption of the strategic treatment with PBM and PDT. Results from the autophagy assay indicate an interplay between the mitochondrial and autophagic proteins. These findings were indicative that PBM might improve the anti-tumor of PDT by inducing autophagy in resistant MCF-7 breast cancer cells that evade apoptosis.
癌症耐药性是癌症治疗中的首要问题，因此开发一种有效的方法或策略来改善治疗效果势在必行。光动力疗法（PDT）是一种利用光活性分子和光靶向肿瘤以特异性破坏癌细胞的治疗方法。光生物调节作用（PBM）是一种使细胞暴露于光以激发其生物分子对治疗产生反应的方法。在本研究中，我们使用PBM来介导并提高四磺酸锌酞菁（ZnPcS4）-PDT对耐药MCF-7乳腺癌细胞的抗肿瘤疗效，并探索与细胞死亡相关的分子变化。不同的激光照射模型用于PBM和PDT联合治疗。联合治疗对通过MTT法评估的细胞活力以及膜联蛋白V/碘化丙啶染色的细胞死亡和细胞色素c的线粒体释放显示出相加作用。罗丹明（Rh123）显示出对PBM和PDT联合治疗引起的线粒体破坏的亲和力增加。自噬检测结果表明线粒体蛋白和自噬蛋白之间存在相互作用。这些发现表明，PBM可能通过在逃避凋亡的耐药MCF-7乳腺癌细胞中诱导自噬来提高PDT的抗肿瘤作用。
