Photodynamic killing of isolated neuron by hematoporphyrin derivatives photoheme and photosan-3

Anatoly B. Uzdensky1, Andrew F. Mironov2, Gerd Mueller von der Haegen3

1)Rostov State University, Rostov-on-Don, Russia;
2) M.W. Lomonosov State Academy of Fine Chemical Technology, Moscow, Russia;
3) Seehof Laboratorium, Germany.

Introduction

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a cancer treatment modality based on the local photodamage of malignant tissue after photosensitizer (PS) accumulation [1],[2]. The first and favorite PS used successfully in PDT was hematoporphyrin derivative[1] . New PS generations were synthesized recently on the base of this substance[2]. They include Photoheme (Russia) and Photosan (Germany). The composition of these drugs is very complex and includes a mixture of monomers, oligomers , and polymeric forms. It is of interest to compare photodynamic efficiencies of these PS using a simple model object such as a single nerve cell providing continuous monitoring of the cell membrane state and proposed previously for the comparative study of different photosensitizers[3],[4].