title: Biocompatible astaxanthin as a novel marine-oriented agent for dual chemo-photothermal therapy.
abstract: The photothermal effect of a marine-oriented xanthophyll carotenoid, astaxanthin (AXT), was characterized based on its potential absorption of visible laser light and conversion of optical light energy into heat for thermal treatment. As an antioxidant and anticancer agent, AXT extracted from marine material can be utilized for photothermal therapy due to its strong light absorption. The current study investigated the feasibility of the marine-based material AXT to increase the therapeutic efficacy of chemo-photothermal therapy (PTT) by assessing photothermal sessions in both cells and tumor tissues. A quasi-cw Q-switched 80 W 532 nm laser system was utilized to induce thermal necrosis in in vitro and in vivo models. An in vitro cytotoxicity study of AXT was implemented using squamous cell carcinoma (VX2) and macrophage (246.7) cell lines. In vivo PTT experiments were performed on 17 rabbits bearing VX2 tumors on their eyes that were treated with or without intratumoral injection of AXT at a dose of 100 μl (300 μg/ml) followed by laser irradiation at a low irradiance of 0.11 W/cm2. Fluorescence microscopy images revealed cellular death via apoptosis and necrosis owing to the dual chemo-photothermal effects induced by AXT. In vivo experimental results demonstrated that the AXT-assisted irradiation entailed a temperature increase by 30.4°C after tumor treatment for 4 min. The relative variations in tumor volume confirmed that the tumors treated with both AXT and laser irradiation completely disappeared 14 days after treatment, but the tumors treated under other conditions gradually grew. Due to selective light absorption, AXT-assisted laser treatment could be an effective thermal therapy for various drug-resistant cancers.
authors.affiliation: Interdisciplinary Program of Biomedical Mechanical & Electrical Engineering, Pukyong National University, Busan, South Korea.
authors.forename: Van Phuc
authors.initials: VP
authors.lastname: Nguyen
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Kosin University College of Medicine, Busan, South Korea.
authors.forename: Sung Won
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Interdisciplinary Program of Biomedical Mechanical & Electrical Engineering, Pukyong National University, Busan, South Korea.
authors.forename: Hanna
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Interdisciplinary Program of Biomedical Mechanical & Electrical Engineering, Pukyong National University, Busan, South Korea.
authors.forename: Hyejin
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Kosin University College of Medicine, Busan, South Korea.
authors.forename: Kwang Hyuk
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Seok
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Kosin University College of Medicine, Busan, South Korea.
authors.forename: Min Jung
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Jung
authors.affiliation: Interdisciplinary Program of Biomedical Mechanical & Electrical Engineering, Pukyong National University, Busan, South Korea.|Department of Biomedical Engineering and Center for Marine-Integrated Biomedical Technology (BK 21 Plus), Pukyong National University, Busan, South Korea.
authors.forename: Yeh-Chan
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Ahn
authors.affiliation: Interdisciplinary Program of Biomedical Mechanical & Electrical Engineering, Pukyong National University, Busan, South Korea.|Department of Biomedical Engineering and Center for Marine-Integrated Biomedical Technology (BK 21 Plus), Pukyong National University, Busan, South Korea.
authors.forename: Hyun Wook
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Kang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000188:drug therapy*; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D005134:Eye Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D053685:Laser Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D051379:Mice; D010778:Photochemotherapy / Q000379:methods*; D011817:Rabbits; D024341:Xanthophylls / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D000975:Antioxidants; D024341:Xanthophylls; C005948:astaxanthine