Photodynamic Therapy Synergizes with Irinotecan to Overcome Compensatory Mechanisms and Improve Treatment Outcomes in Pancreatic Cancer.

ABSTRACT: The ability of tumor cells to adapt to therapeutic regimens by activating alternative survival and growth pathways remains a major challenge in cancer therapy. Therefore, the most effective treatments will involve interactive strategies that target multiple nonoverlapping pathways while eliciting synergistic outcomes and minimizing systemic toxicities. Nanoliposomal irinotecan is approved by the FDA for gemcitabine-refractory metastatic pancreatic cancer. However, the full potential of irinotecan treatment is hindered by several cancer cell survival mechanisms, including ATP-binding cassette G2 (ABCG2) transporter-mediated irinotecan efflux from cells. Here, we demonstrate that benzoporphyrin derivative-based photodynamic therapy (PDT), a photochemical cytotoxic modality that activates the

SUBMITTER: Huang HC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4775276 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature