Sonodynamic effect in A375 melanoma cells with Chlorin e6 induced by 20 kHz ultrasound

Abstract

In this research, combined effect of chlorin e6 and noninvasive 20 kHz, low-powered ultrasound on melanoma cells is proposed for the first time. The proposed combination incorporates the application of safe low-frequency ultrasound that is used for transdermal drug delivery. We demonstrate that impact of the 20 kHz ultrasound on chlorin e6 leads to strong sonodynamic effect in melanoma cells. We also show that chlorin e6 keeps its monomeric form in the cells and does not aggregate after exposure to ultrasound. We propose a two-step model where sonoluminescence serves as an internal light source for the chlorin e6 photoactivation.