Synergistic effect of low level light therapy, photodynamic therapy and chemotherapy using ruthenium phthalocianines and cisplatin as novel approach for cancer treatment

• Grant number: 17/00599-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Doctorate
• Start date: March 01, 2017
• End date: February 28, 2018
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Chemistry - Inorganic Chemistry
• Principal Investigator: Roberto Santana da Silva
• Grantee: Laísa Bonafim Negri
• Supervisor: Michael R Hanblim
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto (FCFRP). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Ribeirão Preto , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: Harvard University, Boston, United States
• Associated to the scholarship: 15/03746-9 - Chemo-phototherapeutic process of phthalocyanine-ruthenium system and cisplatin: chemical and photobiological evaluation in aqueous solution and in drug delivery system, BP.DR

Abstract

The project submitted here untitled " Synergistic effect of low level light therapy, photodynamic therapy and chemotherapy using ruthenium phthalocianines and cisplatin as novel approach for cancer treatment" is part of the research line of Prof Roberto Santana da Silva (USP), and Michael R. Hamblin (Harvard School and Massachussets General Hospital). This involves the synergistic effect of low levels of visible or near-infrared (NIR) light combined with radicals produced by photosensitizers when submitted to light irradiation therapy. The use of low levels of visible or near-infrared (NIR) light therapy (LLLT) for reducing pain, inflammation and edema, promoting healing of wounds, deeper tissues and nerves, and preventing tissue damage has been known for almost forty years since the invention of lasers. Despite many reports underlying the positive effects of LLLT in photodynamic therapy remains controversial. In this context the propose of this work is evaluate the biochemical effect using LLLT, ruthenium phtalocyanine as photosensitizer and cisplatin in the liposome as a delivery system. The pursuit of these species is of great interest since there is the possibility of creating a new clinical therapy against cancer, based on light irradiation, the technique known as PDT. Despite all efforts to widen the clinical repertoire of PDT and possible combination with LLLT, there are still challenges to overcome: 1) Is the energy density and power density are key biological parameters for the effectiveness of laser therapy; 2) there is no efficient delivery of the drug-activating light to deep tissues; To tackle these obstacles, approaches relying on active targeting towards tumor cells should be considered. The energy and fluency used in PDT should also be considered as important part to understand the biological mechanism involved in cell protection or death.