Liposomal photofrin enhances therapeutic efficacy of photodynamic therapy against the human gastric cancer.

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) has been established as a potent and less invasive treatment for gastrointestinal tumors. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether or not liposomalization of the photosensitizer enhanced the therapeutic efficacy of PDT. Photofrin (PF) was entrapped in multilammelar liposomes. Mice implanted with a human gastric cancer xenograft, were divided into a PF group and a liposomal photofrin (LPF) group and intravenously administered 10 mg/kg of PF or LPF (as a dose of PF), respectively. At 8 h after injection PF level in tumor tissue in the LPF group was significantly higher level by 2.4-fold of that in the PF group, whereas the PF levels in the skin were almost equal. Irradiation was performed with the excimer dye laser at 150 mW/cm2, total dose 40 J, at 8 h after PF or LPF administration. The results revealed that the volume of necrotic tumor tissue was significantly higher in the LPF group than in the PF group. The apoptotic index of the tumor was also significantly higher in the LPF group. In conclusion, the liposomalization of the photosensitizer increased its tumor accumulation, with a resulting enhancement of the therapeutic effect of PDT.