Cytotoxic Effects of Combinative ZnPcS4 Photosensitizer Photodynamic Therapy (PDT) and Cannabidiol (CBD) on a Cervical Cancer Cell Line

Sep 24, 2026

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Cervical cancer remains a major cause of cancer deaths, with limited benefits from conventional surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation due to adverse effects and frequent metastasis driven by resistance and progression. Photodynamic therapy (PDT) offers a non-invasive approach with relatively limited side effects, while cannabidiol (CBD) from Cannabis sativa L. shows anti-cancer activity. This study evaluates cytotoxic synergy by treating in vitro HeLa cells with ZnPcS4-based PDT and CBD at defined concentrations and 673 nm irradiation (10 J/cm2). Predetermined dosing produced 50% cytotoxicity and strongly induced apoptosis, with flow cytometry showing 7% early apoptosis, 64% late apoptotic favorable death, 13% viable cells, and 16% necrosis post-PDT. Results support further investigation of combined PDT and CBD to reduce primary tumor cell survival and metastatic spread.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

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Pages25

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1. Introduction

Article Cytotoxic Effects of Combinative ZnPcS 4 Photosensitizer Photodynamic Therapy (PDT) and Cannabidiol (CBD) on a Cervical Cancer Cell Line Radmila Razlog , Cherie Ann Kruger * and Heidi Abrahamse Citation: Razlog, R.; Kruger, C.A.; Abrahamse, H. Cytotoxic Effects of Combinative ZnPcS4 Photosensitizer Photodynamic Therapy (PDT) and Cannabidiol (CBD) on a Cervical Cancer Cell Line. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24, 6151. [https://doi.org/10.3390/](https://doi.org/10.3390/)[ ](https://doi.org/10.3390/)ijms24076151 Academic Editors: Atsushi Matsuzawa and Alfonso Baldi Received: 31 December 2022 Revised: 6 March 2023 Accepted: 22 March 2023 Published: 24 March 2023 Copyright: © 2023 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license ([https://](https://)[ ](https://)[creativecommons.org/licenses/by/](creativecommons.org/licenses/by/)[ ](creativecommons.org/licenses/by/)[4.0/](4.0/)) . Laser Research Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Johannesburg, Doornfontein, P.O. Box 17011, Johannesburg 2028, South Africa * Correspondence: [cherier@uj.ac.za](cherier@uj.ac.za) Abstract: The most prevalent type of gynecological malignancy globally is cervical cancer (CC) . Complicated by tumor resistance and metastasis, it remains the leading cause of cancer deaths in women in South Africa. Early CC is managed by hysterectomy, chemotherapy, radiation, and more recently, immunotherapy. Although these treatments provide clinical beneﬁts, many patients experience adverse effects and secondary CC spread. To minimize this, novel and innovative treatment methods need to be investigated. Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is an advantageous treatment modality that is non-invasive, with limited side effects. The Cannabis sativa L. plant isolate, cannabidiol (CBD), has anti-cancer effects, which inhibit tumor growth and spread. This study investigated the cytotoxic combinative effect of PDT and CBD on CC HeLa cells. The effects were assessed by exposing in vitro HeLa CC-cultured cells to varying doses of ZnPcS 4 photosensitizer (PS) PDT and CBD, with a ﬂuency of 10 J/cm2 and 673 nm irradiation. HeLa CC cells, which received the predetermined lowest dose concentrations (ICD 50) of 0.125 􀀖M ZnPcS4 PS plus 0.5 􀀖M CBD to yield 50% cytotoxicity post-laser irradiation, reported highly signiﬁcant and advantageous forms of cell death. Flow cytometry cell death pathway quantitative analysis showed that only 13% of HeLa cells were found to be viable, 7% were in early apoptosis and 64% were in late favorable forms of apoptotic cell death, with a minor 16% of necrosis post-PDT. Findings suggest that this combined treatment approach can possibly induce primary cellular destruction, as well as limit CC metastatic spread, and so warrants further investigation. Keywords: photodynamic therapy (PDT); cannabidiol (CBD); cervical cancer; photosensitizer; ZnPcS4; HeLa; phthalocyanines 1. Introduction Cervical cancer (CC) is the fourth most frequently detected cancer in females and presents a considerable health burden to women globally [1], warranting more effective prevention, management, and control strategies [2] . Orthodox CC interventions, such as surgical removal, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy, may manifest adverse effects and are intrusive [3] . Notwithstanding notable medical advances, nearly 70% of late-stage CC sufferers experience metastasis, due to resistance to repeated therapies and disease progression [4] . This therefore necessitates the need for novel therapeutic research. Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is an alternative treatment modality, which has presented support of CC primary abolition [5] . The mechanism of PDT is orchestrated by the interplay of red light, oxygen, and a photosensitizer (PS) . The PS is activated using a red light and in turn yields cytotoxic reactive oxygen species (R

FAQs

What is the research objective of this study?

To investigate the cytotoxic combinative effect of ZnPcS4-based photodynamic therapy (PDT) together with cannabidiol (CBD) on HeLa cervical cancer cells.

How were the HeLa cells treated and which irradiation parameters were used?

Cells were exposed in vitro to varying doses of the ZnPcS4 photosensitizer and CBD, followed by 673 nm irradiation with a fluency of 10 J/cm2.

What do the results show about the type of cell death after treatment?

Flow cytometry indicated most treated HeLa cells underwent late apoptotic favorable cell death (64%), with 7% early apoptosis and 16% necrosis, while only 13% remained viable.

Sep 24, 2026

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