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Epigenetically Enhanced Photodynamic Therapy ( e PDT ) is Superior to Conventional Photodynamic Therapy for Inducing Apoptosis in Cutaneous T‐Cell Lymphoma
Author(s) -
Salva Katrin Agnes,
Wood Gary S.
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
photochemistry and photobiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.818
H-Index - 131
eISSN - 1751-1097
pISSN - 0031-8655
DOI - 10.1111/php.12521
Subject(s) - photodynamic therapy , cutaneous t cell lymphoma , apoptosis , cancer research , programmed cell death , jurkat cells , lymphoma , caspase 8 , fas ligand , methotrexate , biology , caspase , immunology , t cell , chemistry , mycosis fungoides , biochemistry , immune system , organic chemistry
Conventional photodynamic therapy with aminolevulinate ( ALA ‐ PDT ) selectively induces apoptosis in diseased cells and is highly effective for treating actinic keratoses. However, similar results are achieved only in a subset of patients with cutaneous T‐cell lymphoma ( CTCL ). Our previous work shows that the apoptotic resistance of CTCL correlates with low expression of death receptors like Fas cell surface death receptor ( FAS ), and that methotrexate upregulates FAS by inhibiting the methylation of its promoter, acting as an epigenetic derepressor that restores the susceptibility of FAS ‐low CTCL to caspase‐8‐mediated apoptosis. Here, we demonstrate that methotrexate increases the response of CTCL to ALA ‐ PDT , a concept we refer to as epigenetically enhanced PDT ( e PDT ). Multiple CTCL cell lines were subjected to conventional PDT versus e PDT . Apoptotic biomarkers were analyzed in situ with multispectral imaging analysis of immunostained cells, a method that is quantitative and 5× more sensitive than standard immunohistology for antigen detection. Compared to conventional PDT or methotrexate alone, e PDT led to significantly greater cell death in all CTCL cell lines tested by inducing greater activation of caspase‐8‐mediated extrinsic apoptosis. Upregulation of FAS and/or tumor necrosis factor‐related apoptosis‐inducing ligand pathway components was observed in different CTCL cell lines. These findings provide a rationale for clinical trials of e PDT for CTCL .