It is difficult to treat patients with acquired airway
stenosis, and the quality of life of such patients is therefore lowered. We have suggested the application of
photodynamic therapy (
PDT) as a new treatment for airway
stenosis and have determined the efficacy of
PDT in
animal disease models using a second-generation
photosensitizer with reduced photosensitivity. An airway
stenosis rabbit model induced by scraping of the tracheal mucosa was administered
NPe6 (5 mg kg(-1)), and the stenotic lesion was irradiated with 670 nm light emitted from a cylindrical diffuser tip at 60 J cm(-2) under bronchoscopic monitoring.
PDT using
NPe6 improved airway
stenosis (P = 0.043) and respiratory
stridor. A significant prolongation of survival time was seen in the
PDT-treated animals compared to that in the untreated animals (P = 0.025) and 44% of the treated animals achieved long-term survival (>60 days). In conclusion,
PDT using
NPe6 is effective for improvement in airway
stenosis.