Targeted transcutaneous cancer therapy

A method for administering a photodynamic therapy to a target tissue or composition in a mammalian subject, comprising the steps of:

• (a) administering to the mammalian subject a therapeutically effective amount of a first conjugate comprising a first member of a ligand-receptor binding pair conjugated to one of an antibody and an antibody fragment, wherein said one of the antibody and the antibody fragment selectively binds to an antigen of the target tissue or composition;
• (b) administering to the mammalian subject a therapeutically effective amount of a second conjugate comprising a second member of the ligand-receptor binding pair, conjugated to a photoreactive compound;
• and
• (c) transdermally irradiating at least a portion of the mammalian subject in which the target tissue or composition that has bound to said one of the antibody and the antibody fragment is disposed, using light having a waveband corresponding at least in part to the characteristic light absorption waveband of said photoreactive compound;
• wherein
• the intensity of the light used for the step of transdermally irradiating and the duration of irradiation have been selected such that the target tissue or composition is destroyed and the non-target tissue or composition through which the light passes remains undamaged.

A method for transcutaneously administering a photodynamic therapy to a target tissue in a mammalian subject, wherein said target tissue is bone marrow, comprising the steps of:

• (a) administering to the subject a therapeutically effective amount of a targeted photoreactive compound having a characteristic light absorption waveband, said targeted photoreactive compound selectively binding with the target tissue, but not binding with non-target tissue;
• (b) transcutaneously irradiating at least a portion of the mammalian subject in which the target tissue to which the targeted photoreactive compound has bound is disposed, with light having a waveband corresponding at least in part to the characteristic light absorption waveband of said targeted photoreactive compound;
• and
• (c) ensuring that an intensity of the light used for the step of transcutaneously irradiating is substantially less than 500 mw/cm2, and that a total fluence of the light used for irradiating is sufficiently high to activate said targeted photoreactive compound, said light-activating the targeted photoreactive compound, causing said target tissue to be destroyed.

A method for transcutaneously administering a photodynamic therapy to a target tissue in a mammalian subject, wherein said target tissue comprises diseased cells in which the disease is one of an autoimmune and an inflammatory disease, comprising the steps of:

• (a) administering to the subject a therapeutically effective amount of a targeted photoreactive compound having a characteristic light absorption waveband, said targeted photoreactive compound selectively binding with the target tissue, but not binding with non-target tissue;
• (b) transcutaneously irradiating at least a portion of the mammalian subject in which the target tissue to which the targeted photoreactive compound has bound is disposed, with light having a waveband corresponding at least in part to the characteristic light absorption waveband of said targeted photoreactive compound;
• and
• (c) ensuring that an intensity of the light used for the step of transcutaneously irradiating is substantially than 500 mw/cm2, and that a total fluence of the light used for irradiating is sufficiently high to activate said targeted photoreactive compound, said light activating the targeted photoreactive compound, causing said target tissue to be destroyed.