Abstract
The reduction of available drugs with effectiveness against microbes is worsening with the current global crisis of antimicrobial resistance. This calls for innovative strategies for combating antimicrobial resistance. Photodynamic Antimicrobial Chemotherapy (PACT) is a relatively new method that utilizes the combined action of light, oxygen, and a photosensitizer to bring about the destruction of microorganisms. This technique has been found to be effective against a wide spectrum of microorganisms, including bacteria, viruses, and fungi. Of greater interest is their ability to destroy resistant strains of microorganisms and in effect help in combating the emergence of antimicrobial resistance. This manuscript reviews porphyrins and porphyrin-type photosensitizers that have been studied in the recent past with a focus on their structure-activity relationship.
Highlights
Infectious diseases continue to be one of the greatest healthcare challenges worldwide
This review summarizes the available research evidence on the use of porphyrin photosensitizers and their application in Photodynamic Antimicrobial Chemotherapy to eliminate disease-causing microbes
Its mechanism of action occurs via the cytotoxic reactive oxygen species (ROS), which are generated by the photosensitive moieties after light irradiation
Summary
Infectious diseases continue to be one of the greatest healthcare challenges worldwide. A recent review by O’Neal forecasted that over 10 million deaths will be attributed to AMR by the year 2050 (O’Neill, 2014). Of these infectious diseases, bacterial infections play a significant role, with a high number of deaths worldwide associated with them. One of the common denominators to AMR has been the use of conventional antimicrobial agents These conventional agents have various limitations such as insufficient bacterial concentrations at the site of infections, exposure of healthy tissues and normal flora to the drug, poor adherence to prescribed regimens that require frequent administration, and various undesirable adverse events that have led to the development of bacterial resistance, limiting the success of the treatment. The review will focus on structural modifications that have been made on porphyrins and delivery technologies that have been incorporated to further enhance their antimicrobial properties
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