Near infrared photoimmunotherapy (NIR-PIT) is a new type of molecularly-targeted cancer photo-therapy, which employs a NIR silica-phthalocyanine, IR700, conjugated to a monoclonal antibody targeting cell-surface molecules. NIR-PIT targeting EGFR is now in transition to fast-track Phase 3 trial in late-stage recurrent head and neck squamous cell cancer patients. I will focus on successful cancer-targeting and immune-suppressive cell-targeting NIR-PIT against new targets; podoplanin, PD-L1, and CTLA-4 that could treat broad spectra of cancers. Furthermore, the regimens of cancer-targeting NIR-PIT combined with immune-suppressive cell-targeting NIR-PIT could cure primary and metastatic tumor and yield vaccination effect against treated cancer cells.
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