Dual-Targeting of Tumor Cells and Tumor Neovasculature by Tissue Factor- Targeted Photodynamic Therapy

Abstract

FootnoteThis editorial was an extended abstract of an invited special lecture presented at

Photodynamic Therapy as an Emerging Treatment Modality for Cancer and Non-Cancer Diseases

“…To achieve improved tumor selectivity and to reduce side effects in the treatment of cancer, the concept of targeted photodynamic therapy has been successfully developed by attaching specific functionalities to the photosensitizer, such as antibodies recognizing tumor antigens [26,27], or ligands and peptides to recognize receptors [28], which could be selectively expressed on one of the two major tumor compartments, either on the malignant cells or on tumor neovasculature. To achieve better efficacy than PDT that is targeted to a single tumor compartment (stPDT), a recent editorial [29] in this Journal summarized a new PDT approach (Figure 1), which was designed for dual targeting of photosensitizers (dtPDT) to both malignant cells and neovasculature [30,31] by conjugating photosensitizers to a protein, factor VII, the natural ligand for tissue factor. This approach allows for dual targeting of malignant cells and of tumor neovasculature, both of which either overexpress or selectively express tissue factor [30][31][32][33], respectively.…”