Synergistic cytotoxicity of Hypericin photodynamic therapy and a Scorpion-Venom Peptide derivative in MCF-7A breast cancer cells

This work presents the results of a synergistic application of photodynamic therapy (PDT), with hypericin as photosensitizer, and a scorpion-venom peptide synthetic analog in human breast adenocarcinoma cells (MCF-7A) and triplet-negative breast cancer models (MDA MB-231 e 4T1). To enhance efficacy while minimizing toxicity, the peptides were evaluated in combination with PDT by two treatment protocols: PDT followed by peptide application, and peptide application followed by PDT. Results indicated a synergistic effect when PDT was applied before peptide treatment, using very reduced concentrations of hypericin (0, 05 µM) and AKFK-IsCT1 (0, 13 µM). The study highlights that the combination peptides with PDT offers a synergistic approach, allowing for reduced peptide and photosensitizer concentrations, minimizing toxicity to healthy cells.