Laser-induced Cellular Effects of ICG and (R)-9bMS for Cancer Treatment

Abstract

Metastases are the leading cause of cancer-related deaths. Common treatment methods of cancer-including chemotherapy, surgery, and radiation- often fail to effectively target and control metastases. Laser immunotherapy (LIT) used in tandem with a photosensitizer is a possible alternative that was developed with the idea of using the host's immune system to help attack both the primary tumors and metastases in order to develop long-term, cancer-resistant immunity. Studies using (R)-9bMS, a small molecule inhibitor, have shown that it significantly compromises cancer cell proliferation in triple-negative breast cancer cell lines. In this project, indocyanine green (ICG) and (R)-9bMS are combined to study photo effects using 4T1 breast cancer cells. The effects of (R)-9bMS and ICG on cell viability and migration were observed and analyzed. These results prove (R)-9bMS could be a useful addition to LIT when used on triple-negative breast cancer.