A comparative study of aluminium-chloro-tetrasulfonated phthalocyanine and hematoporphyrin derivative in photodynamic cell killing effect and skin photosensitivity

Since 1983, PhotoDynamic Therapy was conducted in patients with super-ficial bladder cancer, especially carcinoma in situ of the bladder. As side effects, skin photosensitivity and reduced bladder capacity were observed as consequence of retention of HematoPorphyrin Derivative in skin and normal portion of the bladder. these adverse reactions have, in part, restricted the development of PDT and underlie the search for alternative photosensitive compounds for clinical use. Aluminium chloro-sulfonated phthalocyanines (AISPc), which can be regarded as azaporphyrins, appear to be more suitable photosensitizers because of their strong absorption and thermal stability in solution, and relatively well defined chemical properties. Moreover, AISPc were reported to be capable of photoinactivating cells in tissue culture, to exhibit good tumor-localizing capacity, and to reduce tumor burden of various murine tumors with light irradiation. Authors therefore are interested in AISPc as second generation photosensitizers for PDT of bladder cancer. In this study, their potency as photosensitizing agents is evaluated in vitro and in vivo systems as compared with HpD. (author). 9 refs., 5 figs