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SUMMARY:Phototoxicity of Pheophorbide-a in Caco-2 colorectal cancer cells 
 examined through cellular responses and morphological characterisation
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20260325T092000Z
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20260325T094000Z
DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20260426T163503Z
UID:indico-contribution-10318@events.saip.org.za
DESCRIPTION:Speakers: Fermin Broni (University of Johannesburg)\nAbstract:
  Photodynamic therapy (PDT) has increasingly been recognised as a promisin
 g biomedical strategy for the management of diverse cancers\, offering spa
 tial and temporal selectivity compared with conventional chemotherapeutic 
 approaches. However\, its therapeutic success is critically dependent on t
 he phototoxic potential of the photosensitiser (Ps) employed and its abili
 ty to localise within key cellular compartments and trigger downstream dea
 th pathways. In this study\, we investigated the phototoxicity of Pheophor
 bide‑a (PPBa)\, a chlorophyll‑derived Ps\, in Caco‑2 colorectal canc
 er (CRC) cells under rigorously controlled light and dark conditions to de
 monstrate its mechanistic effects. Cell viability was assessed using compl
 ementary assays that revealed pronounced light‑dependent cytotoxicity\, 
 whereas minimal toxicity was observed in the absence of irradiation\, emph
 asising the selectivity of PPBa‑mediated PDT. Subcellular localisation e
 xperiments demonstrated preferential accumulation of PPBa within mitochond
 ria\, a finding of relevance given the central role of mitochondrial integ
 rity in regulating apoptosis. This localisation correlated strongly with a
 poptotic signatures\, including ATP depletion\, nuclear condensation\, and
  programmed cell death pathway activation. Morphological analyses further 
 confirmed phototoxic damage\, revealing characteristic features such as ce
 ll shrinkage\, membrane blebbing\, and chromatin condensation. Together wi
 th the functional viability data\, these structural alterations highlight 
 the potential of PPBa to induce targeted and irreversible damage upon phot
 oactivation. Collectively\, our findings provide mechanistic insights into
  the cellular basis of PPBa‑mediated PDT in CRC cells. By integrating fu
 nctional viability assays\, localisation studies\, and morphological chara
 cterisation\, this work demonstrates the potential of PDT as a selective a
 nd effective therapeutic modality for CRC\, while also contributing to the
  broader understanding of Ps‑driven cancer therapy.\n\nhttps://events.sa
 ip.org.za/event/272/contributions/10318/
LOCATION:
URL:https://events.saip.org.za/event/272/contributions/10318/
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