Tag Archives: in vitro

Phototruncation cell tracking with near-infrared photoimmunotherapy using heptamethine cyanine dye to visualise migratory dynamics of immune cells

Published in: eBioMedicine Authors: Hiroshi Fukushima, Aki Furusawa, Seiichiro Takao, Siddharth S. Matikonda, Makoto Kano, Shuhei Okuyama, Hiroshi Yamamoto, Peter L. Choyke, Martin J. Schnermann, Hisataka Kobayashi  Published in: eBioMedicine Authors: Hiroshi Fukushima, Aki Furusawa, Seiichiro Takao, Siddharth S. Matikonda, Makoto Kano, Shuhei Okuyama, Hiroshi Yamamoto, Peter L. Choyke, Martin J. Schnermann, Hisataka Kobayashi A new method called phototruncation-assisted cell tracking (PACT) can be used to noninvasively track migration of immune cells to understand anti-cancer immunity mechanisms. PACT is based on irreversible photo-induced truncation reaction, transforming Cy7 into Cy5 when exposed to NIR light (780 nm). PACT was used in this study to monitor spatiotemporal migration of immune cells between tumor and Continue reading →

Development of thermosensitive liposomes with the help of ML8500

Background The proper delivery and release of therapeutic drugs to a specific site or cell type is one of the main challenges in the treatment of diseases. Liposomes, which are vesicles composed of lipids, serve as carriers for drug delivery thanks to their long circulation time. This results to reduced toxicity in healthy tissues and improved therapeutic efficacy of encapsulated drugs. However, conventional liposomes can often be even too stabile, leading to insufficient drug release at the target site. Light activation can offer a solution Continue reading →Customer case Pharmaceutical Nanotechnology led by Professor Timo Laaksonen on controlled drug release and delivery using modern methods and materials. Particular interest lies in using light to both monitor nanomaterial behavior and to trigger e.g. drug release processes. Modulight products: ML8500, ML6600, MLAKIT Prof. Timo Laaksonen Dr. Tatu Lajunen Laser use: Light-triggered drug release studies from light-activated liposomes. ML8500 with 808 nm wavelength was used to induce the release of calcein from liposomes under different temperatures. The effect of different type of lipids on liposomal Continue reading →

Modulight Spotlights: LASER-SHARP RESEARCH – February 2024

 Modulight Spotlights: LASER-SHARP RESEARCH – February 2024 Photoactivated chemotherapy (PACT) is a novel anticancer therapy where cytotoxic drug is attached into a photocage, which is cleaved by light to release the drug at the tumor site. A new study led by Prof. Sylvestre Bonnet’s group at Leiden University, demonstrated a significantly improved agent for photoactivated chemotherapy. ML6600 laser was used to study the drug release from the photocage, comparing efficacy between red and green light. It was shown that the agent could be effectively released Continue reading →

Co-Packaged PARP inhibitor and photosensitizer for targeted photo-chemotherapy of 3D ovarian cancer spheroids

Published in: Cell & Bioscience Authors: Aaron Sorrin, Anika Dasgupta, Kathryn McNaughton, Carla Arnau Del Valle, Keri Zhou, Cindy Liu, Dana M. Roque & Huang Chiao Huang Within the last decade, poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitors (PARPi) have emerged in the clinic as an effective treatment for numerous malignancies. Preclinical data have demonstrated powerful combination effects of PARPi paired with photodynamic therapy (PDT), which involves light-activation of specialized dyes (photosensitizers) to stimulate cancer cell death through reactive oxygen species generation. In this study, a novel combination strategy was Continue reading →

Modulight Spotlights: LASER-SHARP RESEARCH – December 2023

Modulight Spotlights: LASER-SHARP RESEARCH – December 2023 Organic compounds are one of the leading causes of water pollution. Rhodamine 6G is a commonly used dye in the food and textile industries and can cause cancer when consumed in contaminated water. To tackle this problem, Professor T. Nyokong’s team at Rhodes University studied photocatalysis with ML7710 for degrading rhodamine, and showed increased degradation efficiency when photocatalysis was combined with ultrasound (sonocatalysis). This Laser-Sharp study offers a new method for more efficient degradation of organic pollutants for environmental Continue reading →

Red-Light Activation of a Microtubule Polymerization Inhibitor via Amide Functionalization of the Ruthenium Photocage

Published in: Angew Chem Int Ed Authors: Ludovic Bretin, Yurii Husiev, Vadde Ramu, Liyan Zhang, Matthijs Hakkennes, Selda Abyar, Andrew C. Johns, Sylvia E. Le Dévédec, Tania Betancourt, Alexander Kornienko, Sylvestre Bonnet Leiden University A ruthenium-based compound was developed for PACT (photoactivated chemotherapy), which unlike most existing PACT compounds, can be also activated with clinically relevant longer (red) wavelength of light. ML6600 was used for in vivo experiments to superficially activate PACT compound in subcutaneous tumor comparing green and red wavelengths. The tumor volume reduction was Continue reading →

Modulight Spotlights: LASER-SHARP RESEARCH – November 2023

 Modulight Spotlights: LASER-SHARP RESEARCH – November 2023 The development of modern antibiotics is recognized as one of the major achievements of medicine and has saved millions of lives. However, many infectious agents have developed resistance to antibiotics over time, and defining new antibiotic targets has been difficult since very few genes are essential for pathogens. To combat this growing problem, Professor Timothy Haystead’s team at Duke University developed a novel light-based antimicrobial strategy that targets non-essential enzyme on the surface of bacteria. Light activation was Continue reading →

Targeting Borrelia burgdorferi HtpG with a berserker molecule, a strategy for anti-microbial development

Published in: Cell Chemical Biology Authors: Dave L. Carlson, Mark Kowalewski, Khaldon Bodoor, Matthew R. Redinbo, Neil Spector, Timothy A.J. Haystead Duke UniversityPublished in: Cell Chemical Biology Authors: Dave L. Carlson, Mark Kowalewski, Khaldon Bodoor, Matthew R. Redinbo, Neil Spector, Timothy A.J. Haystead Duke University Conventional antimicrobial discovery relies on targeting essential enzymes in pathogenic organisms, contributing to a paucity of new antibiotics to address resistant strains. Here, by targeting a non-essential enzyme, Borrelia burgdorferi HtpG, to deliver lethal payloads, we expand what can be considered druggable within any pathogen. We synthesized HS-291, an HtpG inhibitor tethered to the photoactive toxin verteporfin. Reactive oxygen species, generated by light, enables Continue reading →

Photoimmunotechnology as a powerful biological tool for molecular-based elimination of target cells and microbes, including bacteria, fungi and viruses

Published in: Nature Protocols Authors: Tadayuki Iwase, Kimihiro Ito, Takashi Nishimura, Kei Miyakawa, Akihide Ryo, Hisataka Kobayashi, Makoto Mitsunaga The Jikei University School of Medicine  Published in: Nature Protocols Authors: Tadayuki Iwase, Kimihiro Ito, Takashi Nishimura, Kei Miyakawa, Akihide Ryo, Hisataka Kobayashi, Makoto Mitsunaga The Jikei University School of Medicine Microbial pathogens, including bacteria, fungi and viruses, can develop resistance to clinically used drugs; therefore, finding new therapeutic agents is an ongoing challenge. Recently, we reported the photoimmuno-antimicrobial strategy (PIAS), a type of photoimmunotechnology, that enables molecularly targeted elimination of a wide range of microbes, including the viral pathogen severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 and the multidrug-resistant bacterial pathogen Continue reading →

Modulight Spotlights: LASER-SHARP RESEARCH – August 2023

 Modulight Spotlights: LASER-SHARP RESEARCH – August 2023 Interleukin 15 (IL-15) is promising candidate for cancer immunotherapy, since it is an inducer of differentiation and proliferation of killer T cells and NK cells. A new study by Fukushima et al. at NCI, published in Molecular Cancer Therapeutics, shows increase in therapeutic efficacy in vivo when IL15 was combined with photoimmunotherapy using ML7710 laser system. Intratumoral injection of IL-15 also boosted the immune responses against both the primary tumor as well as abscopal effect eradicating distant, untreated tumor.​ ​​ Read original publication Modulight Continue reading →