Discovery of immunogenic cell death-inducing ruthenium-based photosensitizers for anticancer photodynamic therapy

Abstract

We report a new class of ruthenium (Ru)-based photosensitizers that induce potent cytotoxicity in melanoma cells following activation with NIR light. In addition to the direct cytotoxic effect, this Ru-based photodynamic therapy induces immunogenic cell death in melanoma cells that can be therapeutically exploited to establish protective antitumor immunity.

Keywords

• photosensitizer
• photodynamic therapy
• immunogenic cell death
• antitumor immunity