Delivery of Photosensitizer to Cells by the Stress Wave Induced by a Single Nanosecond Laser Pulse

We demonstrated that porfimer sodium (Photofrin II) was delivered into cells by applying a single nanosecond pulsed laser-induced stress wave (LISW). Analysis with a confocal laser scanning microscope showed that Photofrin molecules were homogeneously distributed in the cytoplasm at a low fluence (0.25 J/cm 2 ), while the molecules were accumulated in a specific site at a high fluence (0.50 J/cm 2 ). We also observed the nucleus membrane permeabilization induced by the LISW.