Fargo, N.D. – Erxi Wu, assistant professor of pharmaceutical sciences at NDSU, co-wrote the article, “Perspectives on the role of photodynamic therapy in the treatment of pancreatic cancer,” which has been accepted by International Journal of Photoenergy. The paper will appear in the focus issue, "Photodynamic Therapy."

According to the authors, photodynamic therapy is a non-invasive procedure involving a photosensitizing agent that is activated by light to produce reactive oxygen species that selectively destroy tumor cells. In recent years, it has been used in the treatment of pancreatic cancer. The anti-tumor effects of photodynamic therapy include three main mechanisms: direct tumor cell death (necrosis, apoptosis and autophagy), vascular destruction and immune system activation. The paper was co-written with Qingyong Ma and Wei Li in the Ma lab at Xi’an Jiaotong University, China.

“This article systematically summarizes the effects of photodynamic therapy in the treatment of pancreatic cancer from the experimental studies to the clinical studies and discusses the mechanisms of PDT-induced pancreatic cancer destruction,” Wu said. “Together with the Ma lab, we commit to finding cancer therapeutics and elucidating the mechanisms of the targeted therapy for pancreatic cancer, the fourth leading cause of cancer death.”

International Journal of Photoenergyis a peer-reviewed, open-access journal that publishes original research articles, as well as review articles in all areas of photoenergy. The journal consolidates research activities in photochemistry and solar energy utilization into a single forum for discussing and sharing knowledge. For more information on the journal, visit www.hindawi.com/journals/ijp