Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 5, 2026

Anticancer Efficacy of Photodynamic Therapy with Lung Cancer-Targeted Nanoparticles
Published on: December 1, 2016
Photodynamic therapy and anti-tumour immunity
Ana P Castano1, Pawel Mroz, Michael R Hamblin
1Wellman Center for Photomedicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
Abstract:
Photodynamic therapy (PDT) uses non-toxic photosensitizers and harmless visible light in combination with oxygen to produce cytotoxic reactive oxygen species that kill malignant cells by apoptosis and/or necrosis, shut down the tumour microvasculature and stimulate the host immune system. In contrast to surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy that are mostly immunosuppressive, PDT causes acute inflammation, expression of heat-shock proteins, invasion and infiltration of the tumour by leukocytes, and might increase the presentation of tumour-derived antigens to T cells.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
The Tumor Microenvironment
Targeted Cancer Therapies
There are several types of targeted therapies against...
Cytotoxic T Cells-mediated Immune Response
Immunological surveillance is the ability of immune cells to monitor and eliminate infected cells with intracellular pathogens, neoplastically transformed cells, and cells with non-self antigens. Cytotoxic T cells and NK...
Tumor Immunotherapy

