Minimally-invasive debulking of ovarian cancer in the rat pelvis by means of photodynamic therapy using the pegylated photosensitizer PEG-m-THPC.

Interstitial photodynamic therapy (PDT) using the pegylated photosensitizer PEG-m-THPC was evaluated as a minimally-invasive procedure to selectively debulk unrespectable pelvic ovarian cancer (NuTu-19) in immunocompetent rats. To assess tumour selectivity, PEG-m-THPC at dosages of 0.3, 3.

Highly selective targeting of ovarian cancer with the photosensitizer PEG-m-THPC in a rat model.

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) uses light to activate a photosensitizer that has been absorbed or retained preferentially by cancer cells after systemic administration. The first pegylated photosensitizer, tetrakis-(m-methoxypolyethylene glycol) derivative of 7,8-dihydro-5,10,15,20-tetrakis(3-hydroxyphenyl)-21,23-[H]-porphyrin (PEG-m-THPC), was evaluated to target selectively unresectable pelvic ovarian cancer bulks. Our goals were two-fold: (1) to establish an ovarian cancer model suitable for the development of debulking techniques and (2) to characterize the pharmacokinetics and tumor selectivity of PEG-m-THPC by fluorescence microscopy.