This review traces the development and study of the second-generation photosensitizer 5,10,15,20-tetra(m-hydroxyphenyl)chlorin through to its acceptance and clinical use in modern photodynamic (cancer) therapy. The literature has been covered up to early 2011.

We demonstrate efficient generation of singlet oxygen upon two-photon excitation with 150-fs 780-nm laser pulses of a new porphyrin photosensitizer molecule whose two-photon absorption cross section has been considerably enhanced by chemical design.

Since the discovery of the green fluorescent green protein (GFP) in 1961 many variants of fluorescent proteins (FP) were detected. The importance was underlined by the Nobel price award in chemistry 2008 for the invention, application, and development of the GFP by Shimomura, Chalfie and Tsien. GFP, first described by Shimomura now is indispensible in the scientific daily life. Since then and a...

A major challenge in photodynamic therapy (PDT) is the development of new tumor-targeting photosensitizers. The tumor-specific activation is considered to be an effective strategy for designing these photosensitizers. Herein, we describe a novel tumor-pH-responsive supramolecular photosensitizer, LDH-ZnPcS8, which is not photoactive under neutral conditions but is precisely and efficiently acti...

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a cytotoxic treatment using singlet oxygen produced by photosensitizers. Approved porphyrinoid PDT still suffers from a lack of robust production methods and low water solubility. Methylene blue (MB) is a good candidate for the PDT drug, because the dye is an effective photosensitizer, can be easily synthesized, and is already being used in other clinical fields. H...

In this report we demonstrate the outstanding advantages of multifunctional nanoplatforms for cancer-imaging and therapy. The non-toxic polyacrylamide (PAA) nanoparticles (size:18-25 nm) formulation drastically changed the pharmacokinetic profile of the ¹²⁴I- labeled chlorophyll-a derivative (formulated in 10% ethanol in PBS) with a remarkable enhancement in tumor uptake, and significantly redu...

In photodynamic therapy (PDT) a photosensitizer - a molecule that is activated by light - is administered and exposed to a light source. This leads both to destruction of cells targeted by the particular type of photosensitizer, and immunomodulation. Given the ease with which photosensitizers and light can be delivered to the skin, it should come as no surprise that PDT is an increasingly utili...

Phototoxicity of drugs used in cancer photodynamic therapy could be augmented by increased accumulation of a photosensitizer in target cells. The intracellular delivery mode that enhances drug transportation could facilitate therapy by reducing the exposure time. Doses of the administered drug and related side effects could be lowered, whilst maintaining the same therapeutic efficiency. Electro...