Journal: Translational Oncology
Article Title: Improving photodynamic therapy efficacy in bladder cancer using polymer micelle-encapsulated pheophorbide a
doi: 10.1016/j.tranon.2026.102687
Figure Lengend Snippet: Encapsulation of pheophorbide a enhances PDT efficacy in 3D tumor spheroids. A. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images showing the surface morphology of T24 and SW780 spheroids. B. General appearance of bladder tumor spheroids before treatment. Red arrows indicate detached cyst-like vesicles, i.e. “microbladders” (luminal cavities characteristic of urothelial differentiation); dotted circles highlight internal cyst-like structures embedded within the spheroids. C. Counterstained semi-thin transverse sections (500 nm) of spheroids revealing internal cyst-like structures (dotted circles). D. Two-photon microscopy imaging of pheophorbide a (Pheo) (1 µM) penetration in T24 spheroids after 30 min incubation at 37 °C either in its free or encapsulated formulation. Poly (ethylene oxide)-block-poly (ε-caprolactone) (PEO 5000 -PCL 4000 ) empty micelles; Pheophorbide encapsulated in PEO-PCL micelles (Pheo-PEOPCL). Cyan: nuclei (Hoechst); red: pheophorbide fluorescence. E. Spheroid viability assessed by intracellular ATP quantification at 3- and 6-days post-PDT ([Pheo] = 3 µM). Results include data from 1 to 6 independent experiments (N), with a cumulative number of biological replicates (n) ranging from 6 to 39.
Article Snippet: Human BC cell lines T24 (ATCC® HTB-4TM, derived from a grade 3 transitional cell carcinoma of an 81-year-old woman) and SW780 (ATCC® CRL-2169TM, grade 1 transitional cell carcinoma from an 80-year-old woman) were purchased in 2022 from ATCC and cultured in Dulbecco’s Modified Eagles Medium containing GlutaMAX supplemented with 10 % of heat-inactivated fetal calf serum, 100 U.mL -1 of penicillin, and 100 μg.mL -1 of streptomycin at 37 °C in a humidified atmosphere at 5 % CO 2 (Panasonic, MCO-170AiCUVH).
Techniques: Encapsulation, Electron Microscopy, Microscopy, Imaging, Incubation, Formulation, Blocking Assay, Fluorescence