Photoimmunotherapy for cancer-associated fibroblasts targeting fibroblast activation protein in human esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

In this study, we have developed a novel NIR-PIT technique to target CAFs, by focusing on fibroblast activation protein (FAP), and we evaluate the treatment efficacy in vitro and in vivo. Esophageal carcinoma cells exhibited enhanced activation of fibroblasts, with FAP over-expressed in the cytoplasm and on the cell surface. FAP-IR700-mediated PIT showed induced rapid cell death specifically for those cells in vitro and in vivo, without adverse effects. This novel therapy for CAFs, designed as local control phototherapy, was safe and showed a promising inhibitory effect on FAP+ CAFs. PIT targeting CAFs via the specific marker FAP may be a therapeutic option for CAFs in the tumor microenvironment in the future. PMID: 31185791 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Source: Cancer Biology and Therapy - Category: Cancer & Oncology Authors: Tags: Cancer Biol Ther Source Type: research