Vascular effects of PDT

Most clinical protocols are based on vascular damage as the dominant mechanism of tumor death. PF is the major example of a photosensitizer which targets the 

BPD-MA is an example of a porphyrin, which in pre-clinical studies was shown to target the tumor vasculature. Intra-ocular tumors implanted in rabbit eyes were used as a model for neovasculature and the very efficient destruction of these tumors could be attributed primarily to the destruction of the tumor vasculature. The established choroidal vessels remained largely intact [61,161]. Based on these studies, this compound has been developed by QLT Phototherapeutics and Ciba-Vision as a first line treatment for age-related macular degenerateion (AMD) of the eye [162-166]. In 1999, approval for PDT using BPD-MA in the treatment of AMD was obtained in Switzerland and more recently in Canada, the USA and several other European countries. It is anticipated that the development of this agent or its analogues for oncological indications will be resumed. 

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