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Chemotherapy is an important treatment for malignant tumors; however, its efficacy and clinical application are limited by its side effects and drug resistance properties. Chemotherapy and phototherapy exhibit synergistic anti-tumor effects. In the present study, a carboxylated poly(amido-amine) (PAMAM) with low cytotoxicity was synthesized as a delivery nanocarrier for loading chemotherapeutic drugs, temozolomide (TMZ), and fluorescent dye indocyanine green (ICG). Hyaluronic acid (HA), which targets the CD44-overexpressing cancer cells, was modified on the nanocarrier surface to enhance the selective killing of melanoma cells. Temperature effect and singlet oxygen production experiments showed that the ICG-loaded nanoparticles exhibited good capability to generate heat and singlet oxygen under near-infrared (NIR) light (808 nm) irradiation. In vivo imaging measurement confirmed that the ICG-encapsulated nanoparticle was delivered successfully and effectively accumulated in the tumor site. In vitro and in vivo experiments revealed that the joint application of TMZ- and ICG-loaded nanoparticle can kill melanoma cells and suppress growth after NIR light irradiation. Thus, HA-modified carboxylated PAMAM loaded with TMZ and ICG serves as a promising nanoplatform for melanoma treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To develop a cancer targeting lactate attenuator in vivo for cancer phototherapy and inhibition of HIF-1, we report an aptamer modified photo-responsive nanoparticle (labeled as Mn-D@BPFe-A) for lactate oxidation and cancer phototherapy. Mn-D@BPFe-A was constructed by the assembly of functional complex with BSA, followed by surface metal coordination and the recognition of Fe 3+ with GAG containing sequence. Upon irradiation, Mn-D@BPFe-A NPs can oxidize water with the generation of OH, which convert lactate into pyruvate both in vitro and in vivo . Obviously, the Mn-D@BPFe-A exhibits a significant tumor ablation owing to the light driven oxidation of lactic acid and dysfunction of mitochondria. Importantly, it can decrease both the level of lactate in cancer tissues and the expression of HIF-1α and Glut-1 in HepG-2 cells. These results demonstrated that oxidation of lactate with dysfunction of mitochondria by nucleic acid-Fe 3+ modified nanoparticle is an effective strategy for the development of non-oxygen dependent photodynamic effect agents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Near-infrared (NIR) absorbing nanoagents with functions of photoacoustic imaging (PAI) and photothermal therapy (PTT) have received great attention for cancer therapy. However, endowing them with multifunctions, especially targeting ability, for enhancing in vivo PAI/PTT generally suffers from the problems of synthetic complexity and low surface density of function groups. We herein report high density glycopolymers coated perylenediimide nanoparticles (PLAC-PDI NPs), self-assembled by poly(lactose)-modified perylenediimide (PLAC-PDI), as tumor-targeted PAI/PTT nanoagents. Atom transfer radical polymerization and click reaction were used in sequence to prepare PLAC-PDI, which can accurately control the content of poly(lactose) (PLAC) in PLAC-PDI and endow PLAC-PDI NPs with high density PLAC surface. The high density PLAC surface provided NPs with long-time colloidal stability, outstanding stability in serum and light, and specific targeting ability to cancer cells and tumors. Meanwhile, PLAC-PDI NPs also presented high photothermal conversion efficiency of 42% by virtue of strong p-p interactions among perylenediimide molecules. In living mice, PAI experiments revealed that PLAC-PDI NPs exhibited effective targeting ability and enhanced PTT efficacy to HepG2 tumor compared with control groups, lactose blocking, and ASGP-R negative tumor groups. Overall, our work provids new insights for designing glycopolymers-based therapeutic nanoagents for efficient tumor imaging and antitumor therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a promising antineoplastic modality in the oncology field. We assessed the safety of repeated intravenous administrations of sinoporphyrin, a porphyrin derivative, with and without illumination in rats. Toxicokinetic studies of single and multiple administrations of sinoporphyrin were also carried out. Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly assigned to the dark-toxicity and PDT groups. Animals in the dark toxicity group received an i.v. infusion of sinoporphyrin at 3 doses: 2 mg kg−1, 6 mg kg−1, and 18 mg kg−1. The PDT group included 2 doses of sinoporphyrin (2 mg kg−1 and 18 mg kg−1), and the rats received 60 J of 630 nm laser illumination 24 h after photosensitizer infusion. The treatments were repeated every 7 days for 5 cycles and were followed by a 14-day recovery period. Systematic analyses were conducted at the end of treatment and recovery periods. Blood samples were obtained 5 min, 30 min, 2 h, 8 h, 24 h, 48 h, 72 h, and 96 h after the first and fifth treatments for toxicokinetic studies. Sinoporphyrin-PDT led to the death of one out of 270 rats; the dead animal had been treated with 18 mg kg−1 sinoporphyrin and died at the end of the fifth PDT treatment. Liver injury, the primary toxicity observed in the study, was identified using biochemical tests, necropsy, and histopathology. Elevated white blood cell and neutrophil counts were found in the rats in both the dark toxicity and PDT groups. Skin lesions at the illumination site were obvious in the PDT group. Pigment deposits were detected in multiple organs such as the liver, spleen, lymph nodes, and ovaries in the 6 mg kg−1 and 18 mg kg−1 groups. No other abnormalities were observed. The toxicokinetic parameters of single and multiple sinoporphyrin administrations were calculated and compared. Repeated sinoporphyrin administrations both alone and in combination with laser illumination were tolerable, and all toxicities were transient. The no observed adverse effect level (NOAEL) for repeated sinoporphyrin administration and sinoporphyrin-PDT was 6 mg kg−1 and 2 mg kg−1, respectively. Further studies are warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increasing evidence suggesting breast cancer stem cells (BCSCs) drive metastasis and evade traditional therapies underscores a critical need to exploit the untapped potential of nanotechnology to develop innovative therapies that will significantly improve patient survival. Photothermal therapy (PTT) to induce localized hyperthermia is one of few nanoparticle-based treatments to enter clinical trials in human cancer patients, and has recently gained attention for its ability to induce a systemic immune response targeting distal cancer cells in mouse models. Here, we first conduct classic cancer stem cell (CSC) assays, both in vitro and in immune-compromised mice, to demonstrate that PTT mediated by highly crystallized iron oxide nanoparticles effectively eliminates BCSCs in translational models of triple negative breast cancer. PTT in vitro preferentially targets epithelial-like ALDH + BCSCs, followed by mesenchymal-like CD44+/CD24- BCSCs, compared to bulk cancer cells. PTT inhibits BCSC self-renewal through reduction of mammosphere formation in primary and secondary generations. Secondary implantation in NOD/SCID mice reveals the ability of PTT to impede BCSC-driven tumor formation. Next, we explore the translational potential of PTT using metastatic and immune-competent mouse models. PTT to inhibit BCSCs significantly reduces metastasis to the lung and lymph nodes. In immune-competent BALB/c mice, PTT effectively eliminates ALDH + BCSCs. These results suggest the feasibility of incorporating PTT into standard clinical treatments such as surgery to enhance BCSC destruction and inhibit metastasis, and the potential of such combination therapy to improve long-term survival in patients with metastatic breast cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, smart near-infrared (NIR) light/H2O2-triggered and O2-evolving nanocomposites were designed and applied for efficient production of 1O2 by converting a deeply penetrating NIR light into a visible light to excite the photosensitizers and achieve a self-sufficiency of the O2 generation in the photodynamic therapy process to overcome the hypoxia-induced drug resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mitochondria are recognized as the ideal target for cancer treatment because they play a central role in oxidative metabolism and apoptosis. In this work, a mitochondria-targeted near-infrared (NIR) photosensitizer (PS) for synchronous cancer photodynamic therapy (PDT) and photothermal therapy (PTT) is synthesized. This multifunctional small-molecule PS is developed from a variety of synthesized heptamethine cyanine dyes, which are modified with various N-alkyl side chains on the lipophilic cationic heptamethine core. It is demonstrated to preferentially accumulate in cancer cells by organic-anion transporting polypeptide mediated active transport and retain in mitochondria by its lipophilic cationic property. As mitochondria are susceptible to hyperthermia and excessive reactive oxygen species, this new PS integrating PTT and PDT treatment exhibits highly efficient phototherapy in multiple cancer cells and animal xenograft models. Furthermore, this targeted PS with NIR imaging property also enables tumors and their margins clearly visualized, providing the potential for precisely imaging-guided phototherapy and treatment monitoring. This is the first report that a small-molecule PS integrates both cancer PTT and PDT treatment by targeting mitochondria, significantly increasing the photosensitization. This work may also present a practicable strategy to develop small-molecule-based cancer theranostic agents for simultaneous cancer targeting, imaging, and therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Near-infrared (NIR) light triggered photodynamic therapy (PDT), based on upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs), has attracted great attention because of its high tissue penetration and low photodamage to living organisms. However, most UCNPs cannot be stably dispersed in aqueous solution and cannot carry photosensitive drugs directly. Besides, UCNP mediated PDT is a fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) process from the UCNPs to the attached photosensitive drugs. So the drug and UCNPs must be stably connected and close enough. In this manuscript, carboxymethyl-β-cyclodextrin (COOH-β-CD) was used to connect UCNPs and adamantine modified phthalocyanine (Ad-ZnPc) through a self-assembly process followed by a host–guest interaction. COOH-β-CD can provide good water solubility of the system and short-distance linking between the UCNPs and Ad-ZnPc. Most importantly, the system has a strong NIR light triggered PDT activity toward cancer cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Novel octylthio-containing asymmetrically substituted Zn( II) phthalocyanine ( Zn( II)Pc1) and a symmetric derivative ( Zn( II)Pc2) have been prepared to investigate the biological potential and ability to photosensitize singlet oxygen for photodynamic therapy applications. In this study, the singlet oxygen generation potential and in vitro photodynamic activities of these compounds have been tested. Both ZnPcs reveal to be very efficient singlet oxygen generators and promising PSs for PDT applications. In vitro PDT activities of the compounds were evaluated in EMT-6 murine mammary carcinoma and HeLa human cervix carcinoma cell lines. Moreover, Zn( II)Pc1 displayed the phototoxic effects in the mammary cancer cell line (6.25 μ m concentration at 30 J/cm2 light dose and 12.5 μ m concentration at 20 J/cm2 light dose), while Zn( II)Pc2 did not show any phototoxic effects both in two cell lines. Zn( II)Pcs were radiolabeled with 131I in high yields. Biodistribution studies revealed that the radiolabeled Zn( II)Pc1 showed significant uptake in l. intestine, pancreas, brain, and ovary, while Zn( II)Pc2 has significant uptake in ovary and pancreas in normal rats. Hence, these Pcs derivatives could be promising candidate for tumor nuclear imaging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The excited triplet state of tanshinone I (Tan I) extracted from the traditional Chinese medicine Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge was characterized by laser flash photolysis. The synergic effect of Tan I on the phototherapy of cancer cells with curcumin (Cur) was also investigated by MTT assay because the excited energy transfer from the triplet state of Tan I ( 3 Tan I ∗ ) to Cur occurred. At the same time, the characteristic absorption spectra of 3 Tan I ∗ were recorded, and its molar absorption coefficient and rate constants for several excited energy transfers were obtained. The photo-therapeutic effect of Cur is enhanced by combination with Tan I. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Amongst large a variety of oncological diseases, malignant gliomas represent one of the most severe types of tumors. They are also the most common type of the brain tumors and account for over half of the astrocytic tumors. According to different sources, the average life expectancy of patients with various glioblastomas varies between 10 and 12 months and that of patients with anaplastic astrocytic tumors between 20 and 24 months. Therefore, studies of the physiology of transformed glial cells are critical for the development of treatment methods. Modern medical approaches offer complex procedures, including the microsurgical tumor removal, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy, supplemented with photodynamic therapy and immunotherapy. The most radical of them is surgical resection, which allows removing the largest part of the tumor, reduces the intracranial hypertension, and minimizes the degree of neurological deficit. However, complete removal of the tumor remains impossible. The main limitations are insufficient visualization of glioma boundaries, due to its infiltrative growth, and the necessity to preserve healthy tissue. This review is devoted to the description of advantages and disadvantages of modern intraoperative diagnostics of human gliomas and highlights potential perspectives for development of their treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inorganic photosensitizer coupled Gd-based upconversion luminescent (UCL) nanocomposites have potential application for both magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and photodynamic therapy (PDT) of cancers using the light stability and biocompatibility of TiO 2 inorganic photosensitizer. However, TiO 2 inorganic photosensitizer could only be excited by ultraviolet (UV) light, which was harmful and weakly penetrable in tissues. In this work, folic acid (FA)-targeted NaGdF 4 :Yb/Tm@SiO 2 @TiO 2 nanocomposites (FA-Gd-Si-Ti NPs) were constructed and synthesized for both in vivo MRI and near infrared (NIR)-responsive inorganic PDT, in which TiO 2 component could be excited by NIR light due to the UCL performance of NaGdF 4 :Yb/Tm component converting NIR to UV light. The results showed the as-prepared FA-Gd-Si-Ti NPs had good biocompatibility in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, MR study indicated that FA-Gd-Si-Ti NPs were good T 1 -weighted MRI contrast agents with high longitudinal relaxivity (r 1 ) of 4.53 m m −1 s −1 , also in vivo MRI of nude mice showed “bright” signal in MCF-7 tumor. Under the irradiation of 980 nm laser at the power density of 0.6 W/cm 2 for 20 min, the viability of HeLa and MCF-7 cells incubated with FA-Gd-Si-Ti NPs could decrease from about 90 % to 35 % and 31%, respectively. Furthermore, in vivo PDT of MCF-7 tumor-bearing nude mice model showed that the inhibition ratio of tumors injected with FA-Gd-Si-Ti NPs reached up to 88.6% after 2-week treatment, compared with that of nude mice in control group. Based on the deep penetration of NIR light and the good biocompatibility of TiO 2 inorganic photosensitizer, the as-prepared FA-Gd-Si-Ti NPs could have potential applications in both MRI and NIR-responsive PDT of cancers in deep tissues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is emerging as a promising non-invasive treatment for cancers. It involves three key components; a photosensitizer, light and tissue oxygen. Even though several photosensitizers have been investigated for their use in PDT, they have several disadvantages and hence the search for more effective sensitizers has become important in recent years. The dye selected in our study – symmetrical diiodinated benzothiazolium squaraine (SQDI) – is one of the newly developed photosensitizers. The study aimed to evaluate the in vitro cytotoxicity of the dye on Ehrlich’s Ascites Carcinoma (EAC) cells and to assess the in vivo toxicity on Swiss Albino mice. The EAC cells were maintained in the peritoneum of mice and used to study the dark toxicity and phototoxicity by Trypan blue dye exclusion method, estimation of Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS), caspase activity and levels of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS). The in vitro studies revealed that the dye induces toxicity in the presence of light and mediates cell death. The in vivo part of the study, which dealt with the toxicity evaluation in the body of Swiss Albino mice, was done by analyzing the parameters like serum glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase (SGOT), serum glutamate pyruvate transaminase (SGPT), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), creatine kinase (CK) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP). No significant change was observed in the above mentioned parameters in the dye administered group when compared to control. Altogether, this experiment indicates that the SQDI selected for our study may be used as an efficient photosensitizer for PDT applications and does not elicit acute toxicity to normal tissues in the absence of light. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Many studies, on light-skinned patients, suggested narrowband-UVB to be effective and safe for the treatment of early stage cutaneous T-cell lymphoma. Objectives. To evaluate the efficacy and side effects of narrowband-UVB in treatment of early stage cutaneous T-cell lymphoma in patients with skin phototypes III, IV, and V. Methods. A total of 27 patients with the diagnosis of early stage cutaneous T-cell lymphoma were involved in this prospective study. All patients received narrowband- UVB as monotherapy until clearance or a maximum of 42 sessions. Patients with complete clearance were followed for six months or relapse. Rate of clearance, number of sessions, and cumulative narrowband-UVB dose needed to achieve clearance, percentage of patients remaining in remission at 6 months, and side effects were analyzed. Results. Within 5-14 weeks (15-42 sessions), using cumulative narrowband-UVB dose ranging from 17.3 to 48.2 J/cm², complete remission was achieved in 76.4% of patients. The rest of the patients achieved partial remission. Six months after discontinuation of the treatment, 42.8% of patients with complete remission remained in remission. Transient erythema in 11.1% of patients andmild hyperpigmentation in 14.8% of patients were the only side effects encountered during this study. Conclusion. We conclude that narrowband-UVB phototherapy is safe and effective for the treatment of early stage cutaneous T-cell lymphoma in darker-skinned patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a clinically-approved but rather under-exploited treatment modality for cancer and pre-cancerous superficial lesions. It utilises a cold laser or LED to activate a photochemical reaction between a light activated drug (photosensitiser-drug) and oxygen to generate cytotoxic oxygen species. These free radical species damage cellular components leading to cell death. Despite its benefits, the complexity, limited potency and side effects of PDT have led to poor general usage. However, the research area is very active with an increasing understanding of PDT-related cell biology, photophysics and significant progress in molecular targeting of disease. Monoclonal antibody therapy is maturing and the next wave of antibody therapies includes antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), which promise to be more potent and curable. These developments could lift antibody-directed phototherapy (ADP) to success. ADP promises to increase specificity and potency and improve drug pharmacokinetics, thus delivering better PDT drugs whilst retaining its other benefits. Whole antibody conjugates with first generation ADP-drugs displayed problems with aggregation, poor pharmacokinetics and loss of immuno-reactivity. However, these early ADP-drugs still showed improved selectivity and potency. Improved PS-drug chemistry and a variety of conjugation strategies have led to improved ADP-drugs with retained antibody and PS-drug function. More recently, recombinant antibody fragments have been used to deliver ADP-drugs with superior drug loading, more favourable pharmacokinetics, enhanced potency and target cell selectivity. These improvements offer a promise of better quality PDT drugs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background To evaluate the efficacy of extracorporeal photopheresis (ECP) in noncutaneous T-cell lymphoma and large granular lymphocytes leukemia (LGL). Patients and methods We have treated 12 refractory/relapsed patients. Six peripheral T-cell lymphoma (PTCL), one T-lymphoblastic lymphoma and five LGL with blood involvement received six biweekly leukapheresis as induction phase, followed by one course a week for 4 weeks as consolidation and one course of maintenance per month for responders until progression/relapse or disappearance of the peripheral clone. Results Six patients responded to phototherapy. Two PTCL and two LGL achieved a complete response (CR) and two other PTCL a partial response. The median duration of CR was 117 months (45–150 months) for these four patients. The peripheral clone followed by flow cytometry decreased in all six responders. Two patients with a complete disappearance of the peripheral clone have not relapsed. Conclusions As for cutaneous T-cell lymphoma, ECP therefore to be efficient for PTCL and LGL. Early decrease and disappearance of the peripheral clone were the indicators of clinical response and nonrelapse, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Carbon ion radiotherapy (C-ion RT) offers superior dose conformity in the treatment of deep-seated tumors compared with conventional X-ray therapy. In addition, carbon ion beams have a higher relative biological effectiveness compared with protons or X-ray beams. C-ion RT for the first patient at Gunma University Heavy Ion Medical Center (GHMC) was initiated in March of 2010. The major specifications of the facility were determined based on the experience of clinical treatments at the National Institute of Radiological Sciences (NIRS), with the size and cost being reduced to one-third of those at NIRS. The currently indicated sites of cancer treatment at GHMC are lung, prostate, head and neck, liver, rectum, bone and soft tissue. Between March 2010 and July 2011, a total of 177 patients were treated at GHMC although a total of 100 patients was the design specification during the period in considering the optimal machine performance. In the present article, we introduce the facility set-up of GHMC, including the facility design, treatment planning systems, and clinical preparations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a light-based cancer treatment that acts to a depth of several millimeters into tissue. This study reviewed the results of patients who underwent a macroscopic complete resection, by two different surgical techniques, and intraoperative PDT as a treatment for malignant pleural mesothelioma. Methods: From 2004 to 2008, 28 patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma underwent macroscopic complete resection, 14 by modified extrapleural pneumonectomy (MEPP) and 14 by radical pleurectomy (RP) and intraoperative PDT. The surgical technique evolved over this period such that 13 of the last 16 patients underwent lung-sparing procedures, even in the setting of large-bulk tumors. Results: Demographics in the MEPP and RP cohorts were similar in age, sex, stage, nodal status, histology, and adjuvant treatments. Stage III/IV disease was present in 12 of 14 patients (86%), with 50% or more with +N2 disease. The median overall survival for the MEPP group was 8.4 months, but has not yet been reached for the RP group at a median follow-up of 2.1 years. Conclusions: In addition to the inherent advantages of sparing the lung, RP plus PDT yielded a superior overall survival than MEPP plus PDT in this series. The overall survival for the RP plus PDT group was, for unclear reasons, superior to results reported in many surgical series, especially for a cohort with such advanced disease. Given these results, we believe RP plus PDT is a reasonable option for appropriate patients pursuing a surgical treatment for malignant pleural mesothelioma and that this procedure can serve as the backbone of surgically based multimodal treatments. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Immunotherapy with photodynamic therapy (PDT) offers great promise as a new alternative for cancer treatment; however, its use remains experimental. Here we investigated the utility of adenoviral delivery of interleukin-12 (AdmIL-12) as an adjuvant for PDT in mouse tumour challenge model. PDT was performed by irradiating Radachlorin in C57BL/6 mice transplanted with TC-1 cells. PDT plus AdmIL-12 treatment for tumour suppression as well as specific immune responses were evaluated with the following tests: in vitro and in vivo tumour growth inhibition, interferon-γ (IFN-γ) and tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) assay, and cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) assay. Direct intratumoral injection of AdmIL-12 resulted in a significant suppression of tumour growth compared to the control group. Treatment of PDT along with AdmIL-12 further enhanced antitumour effects significantly higher than either AdmIL-12 or PDT alone. This combined treatment resulted in complete regression of 9-mm sized tumour in every animal. We also evaluated immune responses induced by these treatments. Combined treatment significantly increased the production level of IFN-γ and TNF-α compared with that by AdmIL-12 or PDT alone. PDT plus AdmIL-12 enhanced antitumour immunity through increased expansion of the CTL subset mediated by CD8+ T cells. Taken together, these results indicate that the high anti-cancer activity of PDT with AdmIL-12 is a powerful tool against cancer therapy and is a promising subject for further investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: We report three cases of Hodgkin''s disease (HD) involving the nasopharynx. Their clinical presentations, morphological and immunohistochimical features and their therapy modalities are discussed. The patients were aged 36, 41 and 77, presenting with increasing bilateral nasal obstruction in one case and a cervical mass in the two others. Histological study showed mixed cellularity type of HD in all cases. The Reed Sternberg cells expressed both of CD15 and CD30 in one case, and only one of them in the other cases. In one case, LMP1 was detected, CD20 and CD3 were not. HD of nasopharynx should be differentiated from EBV-associated lymphoproliferations. The treatment is based on radiotherapy that can be associated to neoadjuvant chemotherapy if nodes are involved. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Summary: Oral examination alone cannot always distinguish benign from premalignant and malignant lesions, thereby resulting in delayed patient referral and poorer prognosis. Thus, any non-invasive technology which highlights oral premalignant and malignant lesions in a highly sensitive and specific manner will undoubtedly aid clinicians in early diagnosis and treatment of these conditions. The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy of acetic acid mouthwash and diffused light illumination (Microlux/DL™) as a diagnostic aid in the visualisation of oral mucosal lesions and its ability to highlight malignant and potentially malignant lesions. Fifty patients referred for assessment of an oral white lesion were initially examined under routine incandescent operatory light. The location, size, ease of visibility, border distinctness and presence of satellite lesions were recorded. Clinical examination was repeated using the Microlux/DL diffused light illumination kit. An incisional biopsy was performed to provide a definitive histopathological diagnosis. Microlux/DL examination enhanced the visibility of 34 lesions, however, it did not help uncover any clinically undetected lesions, change the provisional diagnosis, or alter the biopsy site. Microlux/DL showed a sensitivity of 77.8% and a specificity of 70.7%, with a positive predictive value of 36.8%. Although Microlux/DL appears useful at enhancing lesion visibility, it is a poor discriminator for inflammatory, traumatic and malignant lesions. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Gold nanorod (AuNR)-assisted photothermal therapy has emerged as a viable method for selective killing of cancer cells and shows promise for tumor destruction in vivo. This study examined the distribution of AuNR conversion expected to occur during photothermal therapy in vivo. Tissue-like phantoms were prepared with polyethylene glycol AuNRs distributed homogeneously at a concentration representative of a systemic injection. Phantoms were illuminated with a nanosecond pulsed laser (800 nm) at a variety of combinations of pulse energy (12-120 mJ) and pulse count (1-1000). Operating at the American National Standards Institute safety limit for human skin exposure (30 mJ cm[?]2), a diameter of 13 mm and a depth of 7.6 mm of AuNR conversion were observed in the gel phantoms after 1000 laser pulses (100 s exposure). Significant AuNR conversion was measured to a depth of 6 mm after only 100 pulses. Comparison of the measured AuNR conversion distribution with Monte Carlo simulation suggested that the fluence threshold for AuNR conversion estimated from phantom measurements was in the range of 20-43 mJ cm[?]2. The results suggest that AuNR-assisted photothermal therapy will be effective for tumors within 10 mm of the illuminated tissue surface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]