A. Busetti et al., High efficiency of benzoporphyrin derivative in the photodynamic therapy of pigmented malignant melanoma, BR J CANC, 79(5-6), 1999, pp. 821-824
Benzoporphyrin derivative monoacid ring A (verteporfin, BPD-MA) when intrav
enously injected (5.5 mu mol kg(-1)) to C57/BL6 mice bearing a subcutaneous
ly transplanted B1 melanoma gave a maximal accumulation in the tumour withi
n 1-3 h with recoveries of 1.84-1.96 mu mol kg(-1). Irradiation of BPD-MA-l
oaded melanoma with 690-nm light from a dye laser at 3 h and 9 h post injec
tion induced tumour necrosis and delay of tumour growth of 28 and 14 days r
espectively. The response of the tumour to BPD-MA photosensitization was en
hanced by pretreatment with 1064-nm light from a pulse-operated Nd:YAG lase
r, which caused a selective breakdown of melanosomes.