Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a promising cancer treatment modality, offering precise spatial and temporal control of drug activation using light. However, clinical translation of current photosensiti...

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a promising strategy for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), but the immune consequences of tumor cell death remain incompletely understood. We compared two ruthenium(II) polypyridine photosensitizers (PSs) in HNSCC models and found that both were potently phototoxic (nanomolar IC50s), triggered diverse cell death pathways (including autophagy and ferroptosis), and promoted hallmark danger signals of immunogenic cell death (ICD). Strikingly, only one PS induced apoptosis and strong endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, yet paradoxically led to immune tolerance in vivo. Conversely, the PS that did not induce apoptotic cell death with milder stress responses resulted in a better antitumor immunity in vivo. These unexpected findings challenge the prevailing view that PDT-triggered apoptosis and ER stress are essential for ICD. Our study underscores the complexity of PDT-induced cell death balance and immunogenic signals and highlights the need to redefine ICD-inducing criteria for the rational design of next-generation PSs.

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) harnesses the combination of light, oxygen, and photosensitizers to induce cell death via reactive oxygen species (ROS) formation. Given its intrinsic properties, PDT repres...

El investigador del Centro Singular de Investigación en Química Biológica y Materiales Moleculares (CiQUS) y catedrático de la Universidade de Santiago de Compostela (USC), José Luis Mascareñas Cid,

Abstract. By combining in silico, biophysical, and in vitro experiments, we decipher the topology, physical, and potential biological properties of hybrid-

Hypoxia, a hallmark of many solid tumors, is linked to increased cancer aggressiveness, metastasis, and resistance to conventional therapies, leading to poor patient outcomes. This challenges the effi...

Methylene blue acts as a photocatalyst in the presence of biologically relevant electron donors, enabling red-light conversion of two Pt(IV) complexes into cisplatin and oxaliplatin. Spectroscopy and...

Energy is essential for all life, and mammalian cells generate and store energy in the form of ATP by mitochondrial (oxidative phosphorylation) and non-mitochondrial (glycolysis) metabolism. These pro...

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