Near-Infrared Photoimmunotherapy in Oncology
Summary
Near-infrared photoimmunotherapy (NIR-PIT) is an emerging modality that combines monoclonal antibodies directed at tumour-associated antigens with a photoabsorber dye activated by near-infrared light. Upon irradiation, the antibody–dye conjugate induces rapid disruption of tumour cell membranes, triggering immunogenic cell death and releasing danger signals that prime adaptive immune responses. The technique offers highly selective cytotoxicity, minimal off-target damage and real-time imaging capability. Approved for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma in Japan and under global clinical evaluation, NIR-PIT has demonstrated efficacy in diverse malignancies, including deep tissue and metastatic models. Ongoing research addresses challenges of light delivery in hypoxic environments, optimisation of antibody–dye constructs and integration with checkpoint blockade to amplify systemic antitumour immunity.
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Near-Infrared Photoimmunotherapy in Oncology publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in near-infrared photoimmunotherapy in oncology across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Near-infrared photoimmunotherapy (NIR-PIT): A targeted cancer treatment using antibody–dye conjugates activated by near-infrared light to induce selective tumour cell death.
Antibody–photoabsorber conjugate (APC): A monoclonal antibody chemically linked to a photosensitive dye that becomes cytotoxic upon light activation.
Immunogenic cell death (ICD): A form of cell death that releases danger‐associated molecular patterns to stimulate adaptive antitumour immunity.
IR700 (IRDye700DX): A phthalocyanine-based near-infrared photosensitiser commonly used in NIR-PIT for light-triggered cytotoxicity.
EGFR (epidermal growth factor receptor): A cell surface receptor frequently overexpressed in various tumours and targeted in NIR-PIT strategies.
Regulatory T cell (Treg): An immune cell subset that suppresses antitumour immunity; selective depletion can enhance local immune responses.
References
- Near-infrared photoimmunotherapy (NIR-PIT) of bone metastases. Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy (2023).
- Recent Advances in Localized Immunomodulation Technology: Application of NIR-PIT toward Clinical Control of the Local Immune System. Pharmaceutics (2023).
- Immunogenic cancer cell death selectively induced by near infrared photoimmunotherapy initiates host tumor immunity. Oncotarget (2017).
- A phase I, single-center, open-label study of RM-1929 photoimmunotherapy in Japanese patients with recurrent head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. International Journal of Clinical Oncology (2021).
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