Long-term tumor resistance induced by laser photo-immunotherapy

An ideal treatment modality for metastasizing tumors should eradicate the primary tumor and elicit a systemic, tumor-selective response leading to elimination of metastases and long-term tumor resistance. Also, it should be induced by local treatment at the primary site, to limit adverse systemic effects. A new method for treating metastatic tumors which utilizes a combination of a near-infrared laser, a photosensitizer and an immunoadjuvant has been developed. It involves intra-tumor injection of the sensitizer/adjuvant solution, followed by local non-invasive laser irradiation. It has produced regression and total eradication of treated primary tumors and untreated metastases at remote sites against mammary tumors in rats. Successfully treated tumor-bearing rats showed total tumor resistance to subsequent tumor rechallenge. Our histochemical results showed that sera from cured tumor-bearing rats contained antibodies that bound strongly to the plasma membrane of both living and preserved tumor cells. Western blot analysis of tumor cell proteins using sera from successfully treated rats as the source of primary antibodies also showed distinct bands, indicating induction of tumor-selective antibodies. Our findings indicate that a systemic, long-term effect on metastatic tumors can be induced by local application of laser photo-immunotherapy.