Toxicity and Localization Studies of a Potential Photodynamic Therapy Agent in Drosophila

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

3-12-2014

Publication Source

Genesis: The Journal of Genetics and Development

Abstract

Photodynamic therapy utilizes light, a photosensitizer, and molecular oxygen as a treatment modality for a variety of cancers. We have recently combined ruthenium(II) polypyridyl groups with a zinc(II) centered porphyrin as a new photosensitizer for the treatment of melanoma. In-vitro studies have indicated that this photosensitizer is toxic to melanoma cells when irradiated with low energy light; however, it is nontoxic to normal cells under similar conditions. To determine the toxicity and cell viability of this compound in-vivo we present, herein, a study using Drosophila melanogaster. In the absence of light, the new photosensitizer shows no discernible effects to fly larvae at various concentrations of compound and stages of larval development. When the larvae were fed the photosensitizer it was observed, by fluorescence microscopy, that the compound passes through the cell membrane and localizes in the cytosol at lower concentrations and the nucleus at slightly higher concentrations indicating that the compound is not immediately metabolized.

Inclusive pages

309–314

ISBN/ISSN

1526-954X

Comments

Permission documentation on file.

Publisher

John Wiley & Sons

Volume

52

Peer Reviewed

yes

Issue

4

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