Evaluation of the cytotoxic and immunomodulatory effects of sonodynamic therapy in human pancreatic cancer spheroids

Abstract

Sonodynamic therapy (SDT) exploits the energy generated by ultrasound (US) to activate sound-sensitive drugs (sonosensitizers), leading to the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and cancer cell death. Two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) cultures of human pancreatic cancer BxPC-3 cells were chosen as the models with which to investigate the therapeutic effects of the US-activated sonosensitizer IR-780 as pancreatic cancer is still one of the most lethal types of cancer. The effects of SDT, including ROS production, cancer cell death and immunogenic cell death (ICD), were extensively investigated. When subjected to US, IR-780 triggered significant ROS production and caused cancer cell death after 24 h (p ≤ 0.01). Additionally, the activation of dendritic cells (DCs) led to an effective immune response against the cancer cells undergoing SDT-induced death. BxPC-3 spheroids were developed and studied extensively to validate the findings observed in 2D BxPC-3 cell cultures. An analysis of the pancreatic cancer spheroid section revealed significant SDT-induced cancer cell death after 48 h after the treatment (p ≤ 0.01), with this being accompanied by the presence of SDT-induced damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs), such as calreticulin (CRT) and high mobility group box 1 (HMGB1). In conclusion, the data obtained demonstrates the anticancer efficacy of SDT and its immunomodulatory potential via action as an ICD-inducer.