Vandetanib-induced phototoxicity in human keratinocytes NCTC-2544

•Vandetanib is phototoxic in human keratinocytes.•Vandetanib plus UV-A light induces cell death mainly by apoptosis.•Vandetanib plus UV-A light induces extensive DNA photodamage.•The phototoxicity of vandetanib is mediated by the formation of an aryl radical.

The phototoxicity of the new anticancer drug vandetanib was evaluated using human keratinocyte cell line, NCTC-2544. This study was started since many clinical cases of vandetanib photosensitizing reactions were recently reported in literature. Vandetanib induces a clear drop in human keratinocytes viability after cell irradiation in concentration and UV-A dose dependent mode. Since vandetanib can photolyze with the formation of two main photoproducts after UV-A exposure, the contribution of these new species was also evaluated. These two photoproducts did not have a main role in the phototoxicity of their parent drug. In our opinion, the main hypothesis for the vandetanib phototoxic potential is the formation of a very reactive specie, such as an aryl radical, which can react promptly with different targets inside the cells. In fact, a massive DNA photodamage was detected both in the in vitro DNA photocleavage experiments, and in cells. Moreover, vandetanib was able to photoinduce lipid peroxidation and protein oxidations. Vandetanib photoinduced cell death by apoptosis with the involvement of mitochondria and lysosomes.