Discovery of immunogenic cell death-inducing ruthenium-based photosensitizers for anticancer photodynamic therapy

Prathyusha Konda; Liubov M Lifshits; John A Roque 3rd; Houston D Cole; Colin G Cameron; Sherri A McFarland; Shashi Gujar

doi:10.1080/2162402X.2020.1863626

Discovery of immunogenic cell death-inducing ruthenium-based photosensitizers for anticancer photodynamic therapy

Oncoimmunology. 2020 Dec 29;10(1):1863626. doi: 10.1080/2162402X.2020.1863626.

Authors

Prathyusha Konda¹, Liubov M Lifshits², John A Roque 3rd^{2

3}, Houston D Cole², Colin G Cameron², Sherri A McFarland², Shashi Gujar^{1

4

5

6}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Canada.
² Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX, USA.
³ Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Greensboro, NC, USA.
⁴ Department of Pathology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Canada.
⁵ Department of Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Canada.
⁶ Beatrice Hunter Cancer Research Institute, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Canada.

Abstract

We report a new class of ruthenium (Ru)-based photosensitizers that induce potent cytotoxicity in melanoma cells following activation with NIR light. In addition to the direct cytotoxic effect, this Ru-based photodynamic therapy induces immunogenic cell death in melanoma cells that can be therapeutically exploited to establish protective antitumor immunity.

Keywords: Photosensitizer; antitumor immunity; immunogenic cell death; photodynamic therapy.

Publication types

Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

Coordination Complexes*
Immunogenic Cell Death
Photochemotherapy*
Photosensitizing Agents
Ruthenium*

Substances

Coordination Complexes
Photosensitizing Agents
Ruthenium

Grants and funding

R01 CA222227/CA/NCI NIH HHS/United States