Basic study on pulse-intensity-domain depth-controlled Photodynamic Therapy for transurethral prostate cancer

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is promising modality for cancer. Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in USA. We proposed transurethral prostate cancer treatment using the pulse-intensity-domain depth-controlled PDT to preserve urethra wall. We have found that photocytotoxicity has been suppressed under high-intensity pulsed excitation with the second generation photosensitizers. We aim to apply this effect to form intact portion on the surface of the irradiated field. Irradiation condition dependence of photocytotoxicity of rat prostate cancer cell line R3327-AT-1 was investigated with two clinical photosensitizers, Porfimer sodium and Talaporfin sodium. A pulsed laser was irradiated with the power energy density ranging from 1.25 to 10 mJ/cm². Near-infrared luminescence from singlet oxygen in the solution of those two photosensitizers was measured transiently. We performed PDT against a rat subcutaneous prostate tumor mode with Talaporfin sodium (2mg/kg) injected intravenously 1 h prior to the irradiation. The laser was irradiated with the power energy density 2.5 or 10 mW/cm², with the total fluence of 50 J/cm². Photocytotoxicity in vitro and the singlet oxygen generation were both suppressed with the 10mJ/cm² irradiation with Talaporfin sodium, while these with Porfimer sodium were kept relatively constant. The surface of the irradiated field of 1mm in thickness remained intact, while the tumor damaged layer of 1.3 mm in thickness was obtained in the case of 10mJ/cm² irradiation. We think Talaporfin sodium has high sensitivity to the pulse energy density, which might be useful to realize urethra preserved PDT for prostate cancer.