Conjugation of chlorin p6 to histamine enhances its cellular uptake and phototoxicity in oral cancer cells

Purpose  

Our previous studies in hamster cheek pouch model have shown that chlorin p ₆ (Cp ₆), a chlorophyll derivative is a suitable photosensitizer for photodynamic treatment (PDT) of small tumors (<5 mm). However, for bigger tumors, the accumulation of Cp ₆ was inadequate, which compromised the effectiveness of PDT. The purpose of present study was to investigate the possibility of improving the cellular uptake of Cp ₆ by conjugating it to histamine, a biogenic amine that is known to modulate tumor growth and development via cell surface receptors.