Photodynamic therapy simultaneously induces ferroptosis- and apoptosis-like lipid signatures in ovarian cancer cells

Abstract

Resistance to apoptosis-inducing chemotherapy is a major factor contributing to treatment failure and poor survival outcomes in high-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC). Ferroptosis, a regulated form of cell death driven by lipid peroxidation, has emerged as a promising effector mechanism because it remains available in HGSOC cells with impaired apoptosis signaling. While most research has focused on pharmacological ferroptosis inducers, there is growing interest in strategies that could trigger lipid autoxidation through externally delivered energy, such as photons. Photodynamic therapy (PDT), which utilizes light and light-activatable photosensitizers to generate reactive molecular species, offers a means of initiating lipid peroxidation with a high degree of precision and minimal systemic toxicities. However, the precise lipid targets of PDT, the influence of varying tumor lipidomic landscapes, and the role of ferroptosis sensitivity on PDT-lipid interactions have yet to be elucidated. In this study, we systematically compare PDT to ferroptosis induced by the inhibition of glutathione peroxidase 4, focusing on lipid redox states and composition in HGSOC cell lines. While PDT was similarly effective in both ferroptosis-sensitive and -resistant cells, its effects on cellular lipidomes differed markedly. PDT robustly induced lipid radical formation in both cell types; however, a dose-dependent accumulation of lipid hydroxides and hydroperoxides was only observed in ferroptosis-sensitive cells rich in unsaturated phospholipids. Further analysis revealed a significant overlap in lipid oxidation targets between PDT and ferroptosis. Notably, in both cell types, and in vivo, PDT upregulated ceramides, a lipid class strongly associated with mitochondrial apoptosis. In summary, PDT exhibited comparable efficacy in both ferroptosis-sensitive and -resistant cells by triggering a combination of lipid peroxidation and ceramide upregulation, suggesting the activation of both ferroptosis and apoptosis pathways. Further studies are needed to explore the role of PDT-induced lipidomic changes in the initiation of various cell death pathways and in overcoming chemoresistance in HGSOC.