Notch1在胆管癌细胞光动力疗法中的作用研究

目的:1、研究Photosan介导光动力疗法(Photodynamic Therapy,PDT)对胆管癌细胞的杀伤作用。2、探讨Notch1在胆管癌发生中的表达情况以及Notch1在PDT治疗胆管癌细胞中的作用。方法:1、体外培养人胆管癌QBC939细胞株,在细胞对数生长期用不同浓度Photosan处理,并用半导体激光治疗仪不同强度光照后,采用MTT法检测PDT对QBC939细胞的杀伤作用。观察不同的光敏剂孵育时间、光敏剂浓度及光照剂量对PDT效果的影响。2、采用免疫细胞化学方法和蛋白印迹法检测胆管癌细胞Notch1表达,经Photosan介导光动力作用胆管癌细胞后,检测胆管癌细胞内Notch1表达变化。结果:1、MTT结果显示Photosan介导的PDT对胆管癌细胞有杀伤作用(P0.05),而且这种杀伤作用在一定范围内随着光敏剂浓度增加、光敏剂孵育时间、光照剂量呈正相关。2、免疫细胞学检查发现Notch1在胆管癌细胞中高表达,其表达主要位于细胞膜及胞浆,并且经PDT处理后Notch1表达量较前减少(P0.05)。结论:Notch1与胆管癌细胞生长、增殖密切相关,且Notch1在PDT对胆管癌细胞产生的抑制、促凋亡和杀伤作用中有重要作用。     

5-氨基酮戊酸光动力疗法体外抑制断发毛癣菌肉芽肿株增殖研究

目的探讨5-氨基酮戊酸光动力疗法(5-Aminolevulinic acid photodynamic therapy,ALA-PDT)对体外培养的断发毛癣菌肉芽肿株的杀伤效应。方法将临床Majocchi肉芽肿患者皮损分离培养出的断发毛癣菌肉芽肿株,在马铃薯葡萄糖琼脂培养基上活化后制备菌悬液,与5mmol/L ALA共孵育后荧光显微镜观察原卟啉PpⅨ(ProtoporphyrinⅨ,PpⅨ)产生情况。实验分对照组、单药组、单光组和ALA-PDT组。对照组无处理。ALA-PDT组断发毛癣菌与5 mmol/L ALA共孵育6h后,采用功率密度为40mW/cm2的633nm红光以不同能量密度(50、100、150、175、200J/cm2)照射。单药组断发毛癣菌与5mmol/L ALA共孵育6h,不照光。单光组无ALA共孵育,只给予200J/cm2红光照射。通过数码相机拍摄照片及菌浓度评估ALA-PDT对断发毛癣菌肉芽肿株生长的抑制效应。结果荧光显微镜下可见明显砖红色荧光物质PpⅨ产生,当照光能量密度为175、200J/cm2时,照片显示菌落生长明显受限,数量减少,菌浓度计数分别为(0.53±0.058)×105 CFU/mL、(0.13±0.057)×105 CFU/mL,明显低于对照组、单药组、单光组及其他低能量密度ALA-PDT组(P0.05)。结论 ALA-PDT对断发毛癣菌肉芽肿株有明确的杀伤效应,可为临床ALA-PDT治疗皮肤癣菌感染提供理论依据。     

不同浓度5-氨基酮戊酸对光动力方法抗白念珠菌效果的影响

目的通过测定白念珠菌内不同光敏剂浓度下生成原卟啉IX(Pp IX)的水平及5-氨基酮戊酸光动力疗法(5-ALA-PDT)对白念珠菌的抑菌率,为临床选择最佳光敏剂浓度提供理论依据。方法制备白念珠菌悬液,与ALA避光孵育,采用激光共聚焦显微镜观察Pp IX产生情况,MTT法测定5-ALA-PDT对白念珠菌生长的抑制率。结果白念珠菌与ALA避光孵育后有荧光物质Pp IX产生,ALA光敏剂浓度与Pp IX强度呈正相关,当ALA浓度到达300 mg/m L时,Pp IX强度将不再增加。对照组无荧光物质出现。结论 ALA-PDT对白念珠菌抑制效应同光敏剂浓度密切相关。这为临床ALA-PDT治疗白念珠菌疾病提供了理论依据。     

钌化合物对铜绿假单胞菌的光动力杀伤作用

【摘 要】 目的 探讨光动力疗法（PDT）对体外培养的铜绿假单胞杆菌的杀伤效应。方法 以多重耐药铜绿假单胞杆菌（P. aeruginosa）为对象,用457 nm和532 nm的激光作为光源,对不同浓度钌化合物孵育的细菌悬液进行光照,用菌落计数法观测PDT对铜绿假单胞杆菌的杀伤作用;同时观察了铜绿假单胞菌临床耐药菌与标准菌株对相同PDT作用的敏感性差异。结果 PDT处理组具有剂量－效应关系,在光照剂量相同的情况下,457 nm激光作为光源有更好的PDT杀伤效果;对多重耐药的铜绿假单胞菌,光动力同样有效,其作用甚至强于标准株。结论 钌化合物介导的光动力作用对体外培养的铜绿假单胞杆菌具有很强的杀伤作用,其效果和剂量关系密切。     

ALA-PDT对红斑狼疮患者外周血CD40阳性淋巴细胞的影响

探讨了δ氨基酮戊酸—光动力疗法 ( ALA PDT)对红斑狼疮患者外周血中 CD4 0阳性淋巴细胞的影响及其作用方式。方法 :采用免疫荧光双标记—流式细胞仪检测了 1 2例活动期红斑狼疮患者外周血淋巴细胞在光动力疗法前后 CD4 0、CD95的表达。结果 :1 ALA PDT后 CD4 0阳性淋巴细胞下降至 9.2 8± 1 .2 2 ,较 ALA PDT前的 1 3.36± 0 .89,有显著性的差异 ( P<0 .0 5)。2 CD95 /CD4 0 淋巴细胞在 ALA PDT后立即上升至 1 3.2 3± 2 .1 0 ,较 ALA PDT前的 7.84± 1 .93,有非常显著的差异 ( P<0 .0 1 )。 ALA PDT后继续培养 1 8小时检测 CD95 /CD4 0 淋巴细胞下降至 7.68± 1 .4 6,较 ALA PDT后即刻检测有显著性差异( 1 3.2 3± 2 .1 0 ,P<0 .0 1 )。结论 :ALA PDT能降低 CD4 0阳性淋巴细胞百分比 ,即可能抑制活动期红斑狼疮患者外周血中 B细胞的活性。这种作用可能与 Fas介导的凋亡有关     

光动力作用对铜绿假单胞杆菌杀伤效应的研究

目的:探讨不同的光动力剂量下光动力疗法(photodynam ic therapy,PDT)对体外培养的铜绿假单胞杆菌的杀伤效应。方法:以耐药性较强的铜绿假单胞杆菌(Pseudom onas aeruginos,P.aeruginosa)为研究对象,采用亚甲基蓝(m ethylene b lue,MB)作为光敏剂,用656 nm的激光作为光源(m axoutput=300 mW),对不同系列浓度的MB进行不同剂量的光照,用菌落计数的办法来观测PDT对铜绿假单胞杆菌的杀伤作用;同时利用血培养基检测铜绿假单胞杆菌致病性的改变。结果:在光照剂量相同的情况下,浓度适中(131.7 m ol)的亚甲基蓝溶液能够有效地杀伤铜绿假单胞杆菌,使其致病性降低;而浓度较高(1 317 m ol)或较低(13.17 m ol)的亚甲基蓝溶液对铜绿假单胞杆菌的杀伤作用相对较弱。结论:光动力作用对体外培养的铜绿假单胞杆菌具有明确的杀伤作用,但是其效果和剂量关系密切,所以在治疗过程中必须寻找合适的光敏剂剂量。     

贝伐单抗对ALA—PDT诱导的新生血管形成和胶质瘤生长的影响

探讨贝伐单抗对低剂量5-氨基乙酰丙酸（5-Aminolevulinicacid,ALA）介导的光动力学疗法（photodynamic therapy,PDT）诱导的脑组织新生血管形成和U87脑胶质瘤生长的影响。通过将裸小鼠随机分为对照组、ALA．PDT预处置组（ALA：2．3×10-3mol／kg,能量密度：10J／cm2）、贝伐单抗预处置组（1．6×10-5mol／kg）和联合预处置组（ALA—PDT＋贝伐单抗）,并接受相应处置。第10d,检测PDT照射及相应区域内新生血管形成和VEGF表达并种植U87脑胶质瘤细胞,21d后观察肿瘤体积。与对照组比较,低剂量ALA-PDT预处置后新生血管增多、VEGF表达增高,肿瘤体积增大,这些变化在联合预处置组被抑制;贝伐单抗预处置组的血管形态和VEGF表达虽无明显变化,但肿瘤体积减小。研究结果表明低剂量ALA-PDT可通过刺激VEGF表达诱导照射区新生血管形成,这种微环境的改变有利于U87胶质瘤细胞生长,但这些作用可被贝伐单抗所抑制。     

光动力疗法对体外培养人胰腺癌细胞株PANC-1作用

目的:探讨血卟啉注射液(Hematoporphyrin Derivative,HPD)光动力疗法(Photodynamic Therapy,PDT)对体外培养的人胰腺癌细胞株PANC-1的生物作用。方法:实验分为4组,空白对照组、单纯HPD组、单纯光照组及HPD+PDT组。采用MTT法检测光动力作用后细胞的存活率,并用Annexin V-FITC/P I双染法检测其凋亡率。结果:在光敏剂浓度为5mg/L,光照剂量为10J/cm2时,光动力对PANC-1细胞达到最佳的实验效果,与对照组相比差异有显著性。在此实验参数条件下,流式细胞术(FCM)检测各组人胰腺癌细胞PANC-1凋亡率:HPD+PDT实验组达(36.40±4.21)%,明显高于单纯HPD(6.76±0.44)%,单纯PDT组(8.30±0.32)%及空白组(5.00±0.53)%三个对照组(P<0.05),三个对照组间差异无统计学意义(P>0.05)。结论:PDT光动力作用对体外培养人胰腺癌细胞PANC-1有明确抑制效应,并与HPD浓度及光照强度相关。     

蒜油对MRSA菌株的抗菌作用及作用机制研究

目的研究蒜油对MRSA菌株的抗菌作用及其作用机制,为治疗MRSA菌株感染提供实验依据。方法纸片法药敏试验测抑菌环直径,微量稀释法测其最低抑菌浓度(MIC),酶标仪测定不同时间MRSA菌株生长A640值,革兰染色镜检观察蒜油对MRSA菌株细胞壁的影响,SDS-PAGE凝胶电泳分析蒜油对MRSA菌株蛋白的影响。结果蒜油对MRSA菌株具有明显抗菌作用,其MIC和MBC分别为10mg/mL和20 mg/mL;1/2MIC和1MIC的蒜油作用MRSA菌株后,菌株生长曲线平缓,无对数期;且其对对数期细菌有明显杀菌作用;蒜油对MRSA菌株细胞壁无明显影响,凝胶电泳分析有特征条带出现。结论蒜油对MRSA菌株具有明显抗菌作用,其杀菌机制与蛋白合成有关。     

5-氨基γ-酮戊酸及其己酯衍生物对几种细胞株的光动力作用

5 氨基γ 酮戊 (ALA)及其己酯 (He ALA)具有内源生成光敏剂的特点 ,在肿瘤光动力探测及治疗中显示出了优势。ALA及He ALA对神经母细胞瘤、肝癌细胞及成纤维细胞的光动力作用被研究比较。由特征荧光光谱证实 ,经ALA或He ALA培养后 ,三种细胞内均可生成原卟啉 (PpIX)产物。激光扫描荧光显微镜显示 ,在经ALA或He ALA培养后的神经母细胞瘤中 ,PpIX均以弥散方式分布在细胞质中。PpIX在三种细胞中的积聚动力学过程不同 ,随着ALA或He ALA培育时间的增长 ,PpIX在肝癌细胞及成纤维原细胞中的积累增加 ,而在神经母细胞瘤中PpIX在 8h后已达到饱和。此外 ,在同样的培育条件下 ,神经母细胞瘤中PpIX的生成浓度明显高于肝癌细胞及成纤维细胞。经ALA培养及光照射后 ,可使近 90 %的神经母细胞瘤失活 ;而在同样条件下却只能杀伤 5 0 %左右的肝癌细胞及成纤维细胞。揭示了神经母细胞瘤对ALA光动力作用有极高的敏感性 ,并适于光动力治疗。与ALA相比 ,He ALA可在三种细胞内造成与ALA相近的杀伤率 ,但所用的药物浓度却比ALA低 10倍 ,显示He ALA具有极高的光动力灭活效率。因此在内源光动力治疗中 ,He ALA是一种极具开发前景的新药物。     

Pre-clinical in vitro and in vivo studies to examine the potential use of photodynamic therapy in the treatment of osteomyelitis.

Osteomyelitis can lead to severe morbidity and even death resulting from an acute or chronic inflammation of the bone and contiguous structures due to fungal or bacterial infection. Incidence approximates 1 in 1000 neonates and 1 in 5000 children in the United States annually and increases up to 0.36% and 16% in adults with diabetes or sickle cell anaemia, respectively. Current regimens of treatment include antibiotics and/or surgery. However, the increasing number of antibiotic resistant pathogens suggests that alternate strategies are required. We are investigating photodynamic therapy (PDT) as one such alternate treatment for osteomyelitis using a bioluminescent strain of biofilm-producing staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) grown onto kirschner wires (K-wire). S. aureus-coated K-wires were exposed to methylene blue (MB) or 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA)-mediated PDT either in vitro or following implant into the tibial medullary cavity of Sprague-Dawley rats. The progression of S. aureus biofilm was monitored non-invasively using bioluminescence and expressed as a percentage of the signal for each sample immediately prior to treatment. S. aureus infections were subject to PDT 10 days post inoculation. Treatment comprised administration of ALA (300 mg kg(-1)) intraperitoneally followed 4 h later by light (635 +/- 10 nm; 75 J cm(-2)) delivered transcutaneously via an optical fiber placed onto the tibia and resulted in significant delay in bacterial growth. In vitro, MB and ALA displayed similar cell kill with > or =4 log(10) cell kill. In vivo, ALA-mediated PDT inhibited biofilm implants in bone. These results confirm that MB or ALA-mediated PDT have potential to treat S. aureus cultures grown in vitro or in vivo using an animal model of osteomyelitis.     

Response to ALA-based PDT in an immortalised normal breast cell line and its counterpart transformed with the Ras oncogene.

Aminolevulinic acid (ALA)-based photodynamic therapy (PDT) has been successfully employed in the treatment of certain tumours. Porphyrins endogenously generated from ALA induce tumour regression after illumination with light of an appropriate wavelength. The aim of this work was to compare porphyrin production from ALA and sensitivity to photodynamic treatment in a tumour/normal cell line pair. We employed the HB4a cell line from normal mammary luminal epithelium and its counterpart transfected with the oncogen H-Ras (VAL/12 Ras). After 3 h of exposure to ALA, HB4a-Ras cells produce a maximum of 150 ng porphyrins per 10(5) cells whereas HB4a produce 95 ng porphyrins per 10(5) cells. In addition, HB4a-Ras cells show a plateau of porphyrin synthesis at 1 mM whereas HB4a porphyrins peak at the same concentration, and then decrease quickly. This higher porphyrin synthesis in the tumorigenic cell line does not lead to a higher response to the photodynamic treatment upon illumination. Lethal doses 50, LD(50), determined by MTT assay were 0.015 J cm(-2) and 0.039 J cm(-2) for HB4a and HB4a-Ras respectively after 3 h exposure to 1 mM ALA. The conclusion of this work is that a tumour cell line obtained by transfection of the Ras oncogene, although producing higher porphyrin synthesis from ALA, is more resistant to ALA-PDT than the parental non-tumour line, however the mechanism is not related to photosensitiser accumulation, but very likely to cell survival responses.     

Mechanism of cell death by 5‐aminolevulinic acid‐based photodynamic action and its enhancement by ferrochelatase inhibitors in human histiocytic lymphoma cell line U937

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) for tumors is based on the tumor‐selective accumulation of a photosensitizer, protoporphyrin IX (PpIX), followed by irradiation with visible light. However, the molecular mechanism of cell death caused by PDT has not been fully elucidated. The 5‐aminolevulinic acid (ALA)‐based photodynamic action (PDA) was dependent on the accumulation of PpIX, the level of which decreased rapidly by eliminating ALA from the incubation medium in human histiocytic lymphoma U937 cells. PDA induced apoptosis characterized by lipid peroxidation, increase in Bak and Bax/Bcl‐xL, decrease in Bid, membrane depolarization, cytochrome c release, caspase‐3 activation, phosphatidylserine (PS) externalization. PDT‐induced cell death seemed to occur predominantly via apoptosis through distribution of PpIX in mitochondria. These cell death events were enhanced by ferrochelatase inhibitors. These results indicated that ALA‐based‐PDA induced apoptotic cell death through a mitochondrial pathway and that ferrochelatase inhibitors might enhanced the effect of PDT for tumors even at low concentrations of ALA. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Cytoprotective induction of nitric oxide synthase in a cellular model of 5-aminolevulinic acid-based photodynamic therapy

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) employs a photosensitizing agent, molecular oxygen, and visible light to generate reactive species that kill tumor and tumor vasculature cells. Nitric oxide produced by these cells could be procarcinogenic by inhibiting apoptosis or promoting angiogenesis and tumor growth. The purpose of this study was to determine whether tumor cells upregulate NO as a cytoprotective measure during PDT. Breast tumor COH-BR1 cells sensitized in their mitochondria with 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA)-derived protoporphyrin IX died apoptotically after irradiation, ALA- and light-only controls showing no effect. Western analysis revealed that inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) was upregulated > 3-fold within 4 h after ALA/light treatment, whereas other NOS isoforms were unaffected. Exposing cells to a NOS inhibitor (L-NAME or 1400W) during photochallenge enhanced caspase-3/7 activation and apoptotic killing up to 2- to 3-fold while substantially reducing chemiluminescence-assessed NO production, suggesting that this NO was cytoprotective. Consistently, the NO scavenger cPTIO enhanced ALA/light-induced caspase-3/7 activation and apoptotic kill by > 2.5-fold. Of added significance, cells could be rescued from 1400W-exacerbated apoptosis by an exogenous NO donor, spermine-NONOate. This is the first reported evidence for increased tumor cell resistance due to iNOS upregulation in a PDT model. Our findings indicate that stress-elicited NO in PDT-treated tumors could compromise therapeutic efficacy and suggest NOS-based pharmacologic interventions for preventing this.     

Methadone enhances the effectiveness of 5‐aminolevulinic acid‐based photodynamic therapy for squamous cell carcinoma and glioblastoma in vitro

Although having shown promising clinical outcomes, the effectiveness of 5‐aminolevulinic acid‐based photodynamic therapy (ALA‐PDT) for squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and glioblastoma remains to be improved. The analgesic drug methadone is able to sensitize various tumors to chemotherapy. In this in vitro study, the influence of methadone to the effectiveness of ALA‐PDT for SCC (FADU) and glioblastoma (A172) was investigated on the protoporphyrin IX (PpIX) fluorescence, survival rates, apoptosis, and cell cycle phase, each with or without the presence of methadone. The production of PpIX was increased by methadone in FADU cells while it was decreased in A172 cells. The survival rates of both cell lines treated by ALA‐PDT were significantly reduced by the combination with methadone (P < .05). Methadone also significantly increased the percentage of apoptotic cells and improved the effect of ALA‐PDT on the cell cycle phase arrest in the G0/G1 phase (P < .05). This study demonstrates the potential of methadone to influence the cytotoxic effect of ALA‐PDT for both SCC and glioblastoma cell lines.      

Light Fractionation Significantly Increases the Efficacy of Photodynamic Therapy Using BF-200 ALA in Normal Mouse Skin

Background

Light fractionation significantly increases the efficacy of 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) based photodynamic therapy (PDT) using the nano-emulsion based gel formulation BF-200. PDT using BF-200 ALA has recently been clinically approved and is under investigation in several phase III trials for the treatment of actinic keratosis. This study is the first to compare BF-200 ALA with ALA in preclinical models.

Results

In hairless mouse skin there is no difference in the temporal and spatial distribution of protoporphyrin IX determined by superficial imaging and fluorescence microscopy in frozen sections. In the skin-fold chamber model, BF-200 ALA leads to more PpIX fluorescence at depth in the skin compared to ALA suggesting an enhanced penetration of BF-200 ALA. Light fractionated PDT after BF-200 ALA application results in significantly more visual skin damage following PDT compared to a single illumination. Both ALA formulations show the same visual skin damage, rate of photobleaching and change in vascular volume immediately after PDT. Fluorescence immunohistochemical imaging shows loss of VE-cadherin in the vasculature at day 1 post PDT which is greater after BF-200 ALA compared to ALA and more profound after light fractionation compared to a single illumination.

Discussion

The present study illustrates the clinical potential of light fractionated PDT using BF-200 ALA for enhancing PDT efficacy in (pre-) malignant skin conditions such as basal cell carcinoma and vulval intraepithelial neoplasia and its application in other lesion such as cervical intraepithelial neoplasia and oral squamous cell carcinoma where current approaches have limited efficacy.     

Effect of photodynamic therapy on the skin using the ultrashort laser ablation

Photodynamic Therapy (PDT) with 5‐aminolevulinic acid (ALA) is known to be limited for applications in tumours of large volume mainly due to the limited penetration of topical photosensitization. The results show that micro‐holes created using a femtosecond laser before PDT significantly increased the depth of PDT effect in the healthy tissue. The combination of ultrashort laser ablation technique with PDT showed an important scientific breakthrough related to transportation and delivery of drugs into the deeper regions of the tissue. (© 2014 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Light fractionation does not enhance the efficacy of methyl 5-aminolevulinate mediated photodynamic therapy in normal mouse skin.

Previous work demonstrated that fractionated illumination using two fractions separated by a dark interval of 2 h, significantly enhanced the clinical efficacy of photodynamic therapy (PDT) with 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA). Considering the increasing clinical use of methyl 5-aminolevulinate (MAL) and the expected gain in efficacy by light fractionation we have investigated the response to MAL-PDT using a single and a two-fold illumination scheme and compared that with ALA-PDT. Our results show that fractionated illumination does not enhance the efficacy of PDT using MAL as it does using ALA despite the comparable fluorescence intensities at the end of the first light fraction and at the start of the second light fraction. Only the initial rate of photobleaching was slightly greater during ALA-PDT although the difference was small. Previously we hypothesized that cells surviving the first fraction are more susceptible to the second fraction. Since this is not true for MAL-PDT our data suggest that the distribution of MAL and ALA in tissues, and therefore the site of PDT induced damage, is an important parameter in the mechanism underlying the 2-fold illumination scheme.     

Improving the use of 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA)-induced protoporphyrin IX (PPIX) for the gastrointestinal tract by esterification--an in vitro study.

Possible approaches to improve the diagnostic and therapeutic effects of 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA)-induced protoporphyrin IX (PPIX) are the esterification of ALA for enhanced uptake and the choice of wavelength for irradiation. The human colonic cell lines HT29 [G2] and CCD18 (fibroblasts) were incubated with 0.6 mM ALA, ALA-hexylester or -benzylester respectively, and for further assays with hypotaurine, in addition. PPIX-accumulation was analyzed by flow cytometry and fluorescence spectroscopy. PPIX formation kinetics were continuously recorded. Incubated cells were irradiated with an incoherent light source lambda = 400-700 nm or lambda = 590-700 nm, respectively. After PDT treatment, clonogenicity assays were performed to determine cell viability. Esterification leads to increased PPIX-accumulation, decreased time for production of detectable amounts of PPIX as well as increased response to PDT. Tumor specificity is always maintained or exceeds values for ALA alone. ALA enters the cells via beta transporter whereas esters by passive diffusion. Altering irradiation wavelengths showed the independence of wavelength rather than light dose. Results emphasize the role of heme metabolism for generating tumor specificity rather than the process of ALA-uptake, an important detail for future clinical application.     

Fluorescence image-guided brain tumour resection with adjuvant metronomic photodynamic therapy: pre-clinical model and technology development.

Fluorescence-guided resection (FGR) and photodynamic therapy (PDT) have previously been investigated separately with the objectives, respectively, of increasing the extent of brain tumour resection and of selectively destroying residual tumour post-resection. Both techniques have demonstrated trends towards improved survival, pre-clinically and clinically. We hypothesize that combining these techniques will further delay tumour re-growth. In order to demonstrate technical feasibility, we here evaluate fluorescence imaging and PDT treatment techniques in a specific intracranial tumour model. The model was the VX2 carcinoma grown by injection of tumour cells into the normal rabbit brain. An operating microscope was used for white light imaging and a custom-built fluorescence imaging system with co-axial excitation and detection was used for FGR. PDT treatment light was applied by intracranially-implanted light emitting diodes (LED). The fluorescent photosensitizer used for both FGR and PDT was ALA-induced PpIX. For PDT, ALA (100 mg kg(-1)) and low light doses (15 and 30 J) were administered over extended periods, which we refer to as metronomic PDT (mPDT). Eighteen tumour bearing rabbits were divided equally into three groups: controls (no resection); FGR; and FGR followed by mPDT. Histological whole brain sections (H&E stain) showed primary and recurrent tumours. No bacteriological infections were found by Gram staining. Selective tumour cell death through mPDT-induced apoptosis was demonstrated by TUNEL stain. These results demonstrate that the combined treatment is technically feasible and this model is a candidate to evaluate it. Further optimization of mPDT treatment parameters (drug/light dose rates) is required to improve survival.