University of California

Intertherapy, Inc.

Walter L Henry

N Charle Morcos

Paul J Zalesky

James M Griffith

Mario Maciel

A photochemical method is described for treating cancer wherein phycocyanin is administered to a patient suffering from internal or skin cancer. Once administered, phycocyanin is selectively taken up into cancer cells, and upon subsequent irradiation destruction of the cancer cells occurs. Phycocyanin offers several advantages over prior art chemicals used for similar purposes. First, it is only marginally sensitive to the ultraviolet portion of the spectrum; consequently patients can be irradiated without concern that they will be sensitized to subsequent exposure to sunlight. Second, phycocyanin is selectively taken up into cancer cells with little or no uptake by surrounding normal cells. This ensures that upon subsequent irradiation that the tumors are selectively destroyed with little or no damage to the surrounding cells or tissue. A variety of different types of cancer cells can be effectively treated by this method; treatments of breast cancer, leukemia and murine tumors are described.

Medical treatment of tumors with phycocyanin

A photochemical method is described for treating atherosclerosis or cancer wherein phycocyanin is injected into a patient suffering from one of these diseases. Once injected, phycocyanin is selectively taken up into atherosclerotic plaques or cancer cells, and upon subsequent irradiation destruction of the atherosclerotic plaques or cancer cells occurs. Phycocyanin offers several advantages over prior art chemicals used for similar purposes. First it is only marginally sensitive to the ultraviolet portion of the spectrum; consequently patients can be irradiated without concern that they will be sensitized to subsequent exposure to sunlight. Second, phycocyanin is selectively taken up into atherosclerotic plaques, with little or no uptake by surrounding normal cells. This ensures that upon subsequent irradiation that the atherosclerotic plaques are selectively destroyed with little or no damage to the surrounding cells or tissue.

Medical uses for phycocyanin

An array of miniature ultrasound crystals mounted on preassembled subassembly which is, in turn, mounted on a small lumen catheter provides dimensional and other quantitative information relating to arterial wall geometry and character at disease or obstruction sites. Balloons also mounted to the catheter make it possible to use the catheter for the angioplasty (PCTA) procedure while actually imaging, in real time, the artery being dilatated and unblocked by the procedure. Efficient, highly miniature transducers are presented along with several different configurations for catheter structure containing fluid lumen, through-lumen, and electrical microcable assemblies for conducting electrical signals to and from the transducers.

Growing community of inventors

South Laguna, CA, United States of America

Walter L Henry