Photopheresis

In medicine photopheresis is a form of apheresis, blood is treated in the light-activated drugs, which are activated by UV light. Photopheresis example, is used as a treatment for cutaneous T -cell lymphomas. In this method, the buffy coat (white blood cells and platelets) is separated from whole blood, chemically treated with 8-methoxypsoralen, exposed to UV light and then injected or infused to the patient again. After light activation, the 8- methoxypsoralen binds irreversibly to both strands of the DNA. The patient reinfused photochemically damaged T- cells appear to induce a cytotoxic effect on T -cell development. The mechanism of such " anti-tumor intervention" is, however, poorly understood.

Photopheresis is also used experimentally in patients with allograft rejection, autoimmune disease or ulcerative colitis.

Swell

• Maeda A, et al. Experimental extracorporeal photopheresis Inhibits the sensitization and effector phases of contact hypersensitivity via two mechanisms: generation of IL -10 and induction of regulatory T cells. J Immunol. (2008) 181 (9): pp. 5956-5962 PMID 18941184
• Meiser BM, Kur F, et al.: Reduction of the incidence of rejection by adjunct immunosuppression with photo chemotherapy after heart transplantation. Transplantation (1994 ) 57 (4): pp. 563-568 PMID 8116042

• Therapy