A solubilization technique for photosensitizer quantification in ex vivo tissue samples

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Pharmacology
• Analytical Chemistry

Background:

• Accurate quantification of photosensitizer concentration in tissues is crucial for photodynamic therapy (PDT) research.
• Existing methods for ex vivo tissue sample analysis can be costly or lack sensitivity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce a novel, cost-effective method for determining photosensitizer concentration in ex vivo tissue samples.
• To evaluate the sensitivity, accuracy, and reproducibility of the new method compared to existing techniques.

Main Methods:

• Tissue solubilization followed by fluorometric analysis.
• Testing the method with six different photosensitizers across various tissue types.
• Comparative analysis of accuracy and detection limits against published extraction methods.

Main Results:

• The developed method demonstrates good sensitivity, accuracy, and reproducibility.
• The technique is effective for a range of photosensitizers and tissue types.
• Performance metrics are favorable when compared to other extraction protocols.

Conclusions:

• This new tissue solubilization and fluorometry method provides a reliable and efficient approach for photosensitizer quantification in PDT studies.
• The method's advantages include low cost, ease of use, and high analytical performance.
• It offers a valuable tool for both pre-clinical and clinical pharmacokinetic and dosimetric investigations.