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Volume 48
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10.3390/cimb48070659
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This is an early access version, the complete PDF, HTML, and XML versions will be available soon.
Article

Molecular Effects of Indocyanine Green-Photodynamic Therapy on Programmed Cell Death Pathways in T98G and U-118MG Glioblastoma Cells—An RT-qPCR Study

by
Klaudia Dynarowicz
1,
Joanna Katarzyna Strzelczyk
2,
Dorota Bartusik-Aebisher
1,
Wiktoria Mytych
3,
Alina Pietryszyn-Bilińska
4,
Aleksandra Kawczyk-Krupka
5,
Dorota Hudy
2,
Oliwia Trzaskoś
6,
Jacek Tabarkiewicz
6 and
David Aebisher
7,*
1
Department of Biochemistry and General Chemistry, Faculty of Medicine,University of Rzeszów, 35-310 Rzeszów, Poland
2
Department of Medical and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Medical Sciences in Zabrze, Medical University of Silesia in Katowice, Jordana 19 St., 41-808 Zabrze, Poland
3
English Division Science Club, Faculty of Medicine,, University of Rzeszów, 35-310 Rzeszów, Poland
4
Department of Internal Medicine, Angiology and Physical Medicine in Bytom of Medical School of Medicine with the Division of Dentistry in Zabrze, Medical University of Silesia, 41-902 Bytom, Poland
5
Department of Internal Diseases, Angiology and Physical Medicine, Center for Laser Diagnostics and Therapy, Medical University of Silesia, Batorego 15, 41-902 Bytom, Poland
6
Department of Human Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Rzeszów, 35-310 Rzeszów, Poland
7
Department of Photomedicine and Physical Chemistry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Rzeszow, 35-310 Rzeszów, Poland
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Curr. Issues Mol. Biol. 2026, 48(7), 659; https://doi.org/10.3390/cimb48070659 (registering DOI)
Submission received: 27 April 2026 / Revised: 16 June 2026 / Accepted: 17 June 2026 / Published: 26 June 2026
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Research in Glioblastoma and Neuroblastoma)
Versions Notes

Abstract

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) remains one of the most aggressive primary brain tumors with poor prognosis despite multimodal therapy. Photodynamic therapy (PDT) using indocyanine green (ICG) is an emerging adjuvant approach aimed at eliminating residual tumor cells after resection. While ICG-PDT exerts cytotoxic effects, its impact on molecular pathways regulating programmed cell death in glioma cells is not fully understood. In this study, T98G and U-118MG glioblastoma cells were divided into four groups: untreated control, light-only (10 min broadband irradiation), ICG-only (15 min incubation), and ICG-PDT (15 min ICG + 10 min broadband irradiation). Relative mRNA expression of apoptosis-related genes (BAX, BCL2, CASP3, FAS) and ferroptosis-related genes (GPX4, ACSL4, SLC7A11, GCH1) was quantified 24 h post-treatment by RT-qPCR using the 2−ΔΔCt method. ICG-PDT significantly reduced cell viability to 67.79% ± 3.39% (vs. 86.66% ± 4.33% in control), confirming effective phototoxicity. No statistically significant differences in mRNA levels were observed for any of the investigated genes across the groups (one-way ANOVA and Kruskal–Wallis, all p > 0.05). The largest non-significant deviation was a mild decrease in GPX4 (fold change 0.87) in the ICG-PDT group. Fluctuations in GCH1 were accompanied by high variance, likely reflecting technical noise rather than a true biological trend. The mRNA BAX/BCL2 ratio remained stable (~30) across all conditions. In contrast, the U-118MG line showed greater transcriptional sensitivity, with statistically significant decreases in CASP3 (p = 0.012) and ACSL4 (p = 0.031) expression, along with downward trends in BCL2 and GPX4 following ICG-PDT. ICG-PDT does not induce significant transcriptional changes in the analyzed genes T98G at the 24 h time point under the applied experimental conditions. In U-118MG cells, moderate transcriptional engagement of both apoptotic and ferroptotic routes was observed. Further studies at the protein and functional levels, across multiple time points and models, are warranted to fully elucidate the mechanisms of ICG-PDT in glioblastoma.
Keywords: glioblastoma; photodynamic therapy; indocyanine green; apoptosis; ferroptosis; gene expression; T98G; U-118MG; RT-qPCR glioblastoma; photodynamic therapy; indocyanine green; apoptosis; ferroptosis; gene expression; T98G; U-118MG; RT-qPCR

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MDPI and ACS Style

Dynarowicz, K.; Strzelczyk, J.K.; Bartusik-Aebisher, D.; Mytych, W.; Pietryszyn-Bilińska, A.; Kawczyk-Krupka, A.; Hudy, D.; Trzaskoś, O.; Tabarkiewicz, J.; Aebisher, D. Molecular Effects of Indocyanine Green-Photodynamic Therapy on Programmed Cell Death Pathways in T98G and U-118MG Glioblastoma Cells—An RT-qPCR Study. Curr. Issues Mol. Biol. 2026, 48, 659. https://doi.org/10.3390/cimb48070659

AMA Style

Dynarowicz K, Strzelczyk JK, Bartusik-Aebisher D, Mytych W, Pietryszyn-Bilińska A, Kawczyk-Krupka A, Hudy D, Trzaskoś O, Tabarkiewicz J, Aebisher D. Molecular Effects of Indocyanine Green-Photodynamic Therapy on Programmed Cell Death Pathways in T98G and U-118MG Glioblastoma Cells—An RT-qPCR Study. Current Issues in Molecular Biology. 2026; 48(7):659. https://doi.org/10.3390/cimb48070659

Chicago/Turabian Style

Dynarowicz, Klaudia, Joanna Katarzyna Strzelczyk, Dorota Bartusik-Aebisher, Wiktoria Mytych, Alina Pietryszyn-Bilińska, Aleksandra Kawczyk-Krupka, Dorota Hudy, Oliwia Trzaskoś, Jacek Tabarkiewicz, and David Aebisher. 2026. "Molecular Effects of Indocyanine Green-Photodynamic Therapy on Programmed Cell Death Pathways in T98G and U-118MG Glioblastoma Cells—An RT-qPCR Study" Current Issues in Molecular Biology 48, no. 7: 659. https://doi.org/10.3390/cimb48070659

APA Style

Dynarowicz, K., Strzelczyk, J. K., Bartusik-Aebisher, D., Mytych, W., Pietryszyn-Bilińska, A., Kawczyk-Krupka, A., Hudy, D., Trzaskoś, O., Tabarkiewicz, J., & Aebisher, D. (2026). Molecular Effects of Indocyanine Green-Photodynamic Therapy on Programmed Cell Death Pathways in T98G and U-118MG Glioblastoma Cells—An RT-qPCR Study. Current Issues in Molecular Biology, 48(7), 659. https://doi.org/10.3390/cimb48070659

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