Scavenger receptor-targeted photodynamic therapy of J774 tumors in mice: Tumor response and concomitant immunity

J774 is a cell tine derived from Balb/c mice that in vitro behaves as macrophages (including scavenger-receptor expression) and has been widely used to study macrophage cell biology. In vivo it produces histiocytic lymphoma tumors that are invasive and metastatic. We report here on the response of subcutaneous J774 tumors to photodynamic therapy with scavenger-receptor targeted chlorin(e6). Bovine serum albumin was covalently conjugated with chlorin(e6), maleylated and purified by acetone precipitation and both this and free chlorin(e6) were injected IV into mice at 2mg/kg. When tumors were illuminated with 665nm laser-light after 24 hours there was a highly significant response (tumor volume and growth rate) for the conjugate, but this led to a relatively small survival increase due to the highly metastatic nature of the tumor. The free chlorin(e6) gave very little tumor response. When light was delivered 3 hours after injection the response from the conjugate disappeared due to insufficient time for the tumor cells to take up the photosensitizer by receptor-mediated endocytosis. Free chlorin(e6) at 3 hours however produced a total regression of the tumors due to a primarily vascular effect, but the mice died sooner than control animals. When J774 tumors were surgically removed at different times after implantation the mouse survival was proportional to the length of time they had had the tumor. We interpret this data to show that mice with J774 tumors slowly develop concomitant immunity and a PDT regimen that swiftly ablates the tumor will give worse survival results than a regimen with a slower tumor response.