Photodynamic therapy of bladder cancer cell lines

Abstract

Objective To determine the effect of photodynamic therapy mediated by 5‐aminolevulinic acid (ALA) on a range of bladder cancer cell lines, including a squamous cancer cell line and a multi‐drug resistant cell line. Materials and methods Experiments were performed on cells growing in culture; the cell lines studied were the transitional cell cancer lines RT112, T24 and EJ138, the squamous cancer cell line, SCaBER, and the multi‐drug resistant transitional cancer cell line, MGH‐U1(R), together with its non‐resistant parent line, MGH‐U1. The kinetics of the ALA‐mediated generation of fluorescent photosensitizer were determined using flow cytometry. Photodynamic therapy was performed by incubating cells in ALA followed by exposure to various doses of white light. Results The response of the various transitional cancer cell lines to photodynamic therapy depended on dose. The squamous cell line was relatively resistant to photodynamic therapy. There was some cross‐resistance of the MGH‐U1(R) cell line to photodynamic therapy, although the mechanism of cross‐resistance appeared not to be necessarily a property of the drug‐resistant phenotype. Conclusion This study suggests that ALA‐mediated photodynamic therapy may be effective in transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder. Based on these findings, this therapeutic method should be further evaluated clinically.