Hematoporphyrin (Hematoporphyrin IX) is a type of photosensitizer that possesses the porphyrin macrocycle structure[1]. It has been clinically used in photodynamic therapy and fluorescence diagnostics[2][3].
Hematoporphyrin (20 - 120nM, 60min) significantly inhibited cell viability in U87 (IC50=85nM) and U251 (IC50=166nM) cells in a dose-dependent manner[4]. Hematoporphyrin (85nM, 60min) significantly increased cell apoptosis at a later stage, increased the content of reactive oxygen species (ROS), and decreased the mitochondrial membrane potential in U87 cells[4].
Hematoporphyrin (5mg/kg, 24h, i.v. from vena caudalis) significantly attenuated the optical coherence tomography (OCT) signal in the tumor tissues in the gastric cancer mice model, enhancing the OCT image contrast of normal tissues and tumor tissues[5].
References:
[1] Dougherty TJ. Hematoporphyrin as a photosensitizer of tumors. Photochem Photobiol. 1983;38(3):377-379.
[2] Chang JE, Yoon IS, Sun PL, Yi E, Jheon S, Shim CK. Anticancer efficacy of photodynamic therapy with hematoporphyrin-modified, doxorubicin-loaded nanoparticles in liver cancer. J Photochem Photobiol B. 2014;140:49-56.
[3] Leonard JR, Beck WL. Hematoporphyrin fluorescence: an aid in diagnosis of malignant neoplasms. Laryngoscope. 1971;81(3):365-372.
[4] Yuan SX, Li JL, Xu XK, et al. Underlying mechanism of the photodynamic activity of hematoporphyrin‑induced apoptosis in U87 glioma cells. Int J Mol Med. 2018;41(4):2288-2296.
[5] Xiong H, Zeng C, Guo Z, et al. Potential ability of hematoporphyrin to enhance an optical coherence tomographic image of gastric cancer in vivo in mice. Phys Med Biol. 2008;53(23):6767-6775.
















