An Overview of Target Membrane Proteins for Near-Infrared Photoimmunotherapy

Abstract

Near-infrared photoimmunotherapy (NIR-PIT) is a recently developed cancer treatment that utilizes antibody–photoabsorber (IRDye700DX [IR700]) conjugates and NIR light. Necrotic cell death associated with lethal membrane damage is induced when this conjugate binds to an antigen on cancer cells, and it is exposed to NIR light. Therefore, various membrane proteins are potential therapeutic targets for NIR-PIT, and many studies have described various target molecules and specific antibodies. To develop future drugs for NIR-PIT, the selection of appropriate target membrane proteins and monoclonal antibodies will be important. In this review, we summarize the membrane targets and antibodies for NIR-PIT used in previous studies, focusing on the characteristics of each molecule.