Ring-Fused Diphenylchlorins as Potent Photosensitizers for Photodynamic Therapy Applications: In Vitro Tumor Cell Biology and in Vivo Chick Embryo Chorioallantoic Membrane Studies

Ring-fused diphenylchlorins as potent low-dose photosensitizers for photodynamic therapy of bladder carcinoma and esophageal adenocarcinoma are described. All studied molecules were very active against HT1376 urinary bladder carcinoma and OE19 esophageal adenocarcinoma cell lines, showing IC50 values below 50 nM. The in vivo evaluation of the more promising photosensitizer, using an OE19 tumor/chick embryo chorioallantoic membrane model, showed a tumor weight regression of 33% with a single photodynamic therapy treatment with the photosensitizer dose as low as 37 ng/embryo.