Single-Point Laser Therapy Shows Promise in Destroying Tumors From Within
A groundbreaking new approach to photodynamic therapy utilizes focused laser irradiation to selectively destroy cancer cells and trigger a cascading effect that eliminates tumors from the inside out.
Researchers at the Madrid Institute for Advanced Studies in Nanoscience (IMDEA Nanociencia) and the National Center for Biotechnology (CNB-CSIC) have unveiled a novel technique with the potential to revolutionize cancer treatment. The strategy centers on inducing a self-propagating cascade of cell death within tumors, offering a highly targeted and efficient method for eradication.
The innovative approach involves selectively destroying cancer cells by irradiating a single cell with a laser. In 3D tumor models, this action doesn’t remain localized; instead, the effect spreads to neighboring cells, inducing widespread cell death that progressively extends throughout the tumor’s structure. This is a significant departure from traditional photodynamic therapy, a clinically approved cancer treatment that typically involves irradiating the entire tumor area after administering a photosensitizing agent.
Published in the journal Advanced Therapeutics on November 4, 2025, the research details how focused laser irradiation, combined with clinically approved photosensitizing agents, causes selective damage to cancer cells in laboratory settings. Researchers were able to perforate cell membranes with pinpoint light, inducing targeted cell death within a minute, observable in real-time under a microscope.
However, the most remarkable finding was the “bystander effect” – the extension of cell death to adjacent, non-irradiated cells. To investigate this phenomenon, the team utilized tumor spheroids, 3D cell cultures designed to mimic the complex organization of cells within actual tumors. Irradiating cells within these spheroids revealed that neighboring cells also succumbed to cell death, triggered by stress signals emanating from the initially targeted cell. The researchers observed complete cell death throughout the entire spheroid within just 10 minutes.
“The fact that we present this proof of concept using both markers and light already used clinically opens up an immense range of applications, since only the method of irradiating the tumor changes,” stated a senior author of the study. “This creates a much more favorable scenario for future tests in animal models. Photodynamic therapy is already in clinical use, and in the areas where it is applied—lung cancer, brain tumors, etc.—it could potentially support future applications.”
The research team emphasizes the counterintuitive nature of inducing cell death from within the tumor spheroid, a process they are also investigating theoretically alongside their experimental work. According to the study’s first author, “The next steps will be to determine the limits of the bystander effect, ensure healthy cells are not damaged, and identify the tumor sizes to which this new technique could be applied to define future tests in animal models.”
In essence, the study presents a new paradigm within photodynamic therapy, utilizing clinically approved agents to destroy tumor spheroids from within with remarkable precision. This novel concept has the potential to be combined with existing therapies or surgical interventions to achieve complete cancer eradication. The findings offer new hope in the fight against aggressive tumors, such as glioblastoma, promising a highly selective and efficient treatment approach. The results suggest that this single-point photodynamic therapy could become a valuable addition to current oncological treatments.
More information: Cristina S. Carrizo et al, Single‐Point Laser Irradiation Photodynamic Therapy: From Selective Plasma Damaging to Cell Death from Within the Tumor, Advanced Therapeutics (2025). DOI: 10.1002/adtp.202400541.
