The presented work addresses the influence of illumination intensity on the amount and locations of singlet oxygen generation in tumor tissue. We used time-resolved optical detection at the typical emission wavelength around 1270 nm and at 1200 nm where there is no singlet oxygen phosphorescence to determine the phosphorescence kinetics. The discussed data comprise in vivo measurements in tumor-laden HET-CAM and mice. The results show that illumination that is too intense is a major issue, affecting many PDT treatments and all singlet oxygen measurements in vivo so far. In such cases, photosensitization and oxygen consumption exceed oxygen supply, limiting singlet oxygen generation to the blood vessels and walls, while photosensitizers in the surrounding tissue will likely not participate. Being a limitation for the treatment, on one hand, on the other, this finding offers a new method for tumor diagnosis when using photosensitizers exploiting the EPR effect. In contrast to high-intensity PDT, some papers reported successful treatment with nanoparticular drugs using much lower illumination intensity. The question of whether, with such illumination, singlet oxygen is indeed generated in areas apart from vessels and walls, is addressed by numerical analysis. In addition, we discuss how to perform measurements at such low intensities.

Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry Czech Academy of Sciences Heyrovkého nám 2 16206 Prague Czech Republic

Laboratory of Microbiology and Oncology Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences Sojo University Kumamoto 860 0082 Japan

Photobiophysics Institute of Physics Humboldt University of Berlin Newtonstr 15 12489 Berlin Germany

School of Pharmacy Queen's University Belfast 97 Lisburn Road Belfast BT9 7BL UK

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Polymer theranostics with multiple stimuli-based activation of photodynamic therapy and tumor imaging

Singlet Oxygen In Vivo: It Is All about Intensity-Part 2