Abstract
Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is currently of much interest as a minimally invasive therapeutic modality approved for treating cancer and other diseases. The PDT-mediated destruction of undesirable cells involves administration of a photosensitizer (PS), followed by light irradiation, in the presence of oxygen. The excited PS can generate singlet oxygen by energy transfer (type II reaction) and reactive oxygen species by electron transfer (type I reaction). The cytotoxic species produced can induce photodamage and kill target cells through different cell death mechanisms. Indirect effects of PDT include disruption of tumor vasculature and stimulation of antitumor immunity, which contribute to tumor destruction and prevention of cancer recurrence. This article provides information about the components of PDT, the photophysical and photochemical mechanisms, the PDT-mediated cell death pathway, the indirect effects of PDT, as well as approaches for using PDT to overcome resistance to anticancer drugs.
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