Using Deep-Red Light to Help the Immune System Fight Cancer
Researchers at Chimie ParisTech-PSL are opening a new avenue in immunotherapy with an innovative light-activated osmium-based compound.
The Inorganic Chemical Biology (ICB) team led by Professor Gilles Gasser, within the Institute of Chemistry for Life and Health Sciences (i-CLeHS) at Chimie ParisTech-PSL, has published a major breakthrough in the prestigious journal Angewandte Chemie International Edition.
Their work shows that a metal-based compound activated by deep-red light could not only destroy cancer cells, but also stimulate the body’s immune defences against tumors.
A light-activated therapy. For several years, researchers from the ICB team have been developing innovative approaches combining chemistry and photochemistry to fight cancer. Their latest study focuses on photodynamic therapy, a technique that uses light to activate molecules capable of destroying tumor cells. The team designed several osmium-based compounds, a rare metal, one of which stood out in particular: Os2. Activated by deep-red light, this compound offers a major advantage as this wavelength penetrates tissues more deeply than the light traditionally used in photodynamic therapy. This property could make it possible to treat larger or deeper-seated tumors.
Destroying cancer cells… and awakening the immune system. Beyond its effectiveness against tumor cells, Os2 has another particularly promising feature: it triggers what is known as “immunogenic cell death.” In practical terms, the destroyed cancer cells send warning signals to the immune system, enabling it to recognize and attack the tumor more effectively.
Researchers observed this effect both in the laboratory and in vivo, with enhanced anti-tumor immune responses.
A world first for an osmium-based compound. This study is the first demonstration of an osmium-based compound capable of triggering this type of immune response against cancer. These findings open new perspectives for the development of more targeted and personalized treatments combining photodynamic therapy and immunotherapy.
The study was published in Angewandte Chemie International Edition.