Needle-injected wireless light-emitting device for 5-aminolevulinic acid-mediated photodynamic therapy of breast cancer

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a promising treatment for triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), but clinical translation is limited by poor light penetration into deep-seated tumors. This study employed a miniature wireless implantable light-emitting device (WILD) for localized red-light activation of PDT after oral administration of the clinical drug 5-aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA). Cancer cell studies showed that WILD-mediated 5-ALA PDT induced phototoxicity and production of immunogenic cell death (ICD) biomarkers. Studies using a mouse model of TNBC revealed that WILD-mediated 5-ALA PDT reduced total tumor burden, with evidence suggesting immune activation. These findings support the feasibility of WILD-mediated 5-ALA PDT for treating deep-seated solid tumors.