title: Photochemical inactivation of viruses with psoralens: an overview.
abstract: In the presence of longwave ultraviolet light, psoralen derivatives photoreact with the nucleic acids within intact viruses and cells. This photoreaction can leave protein antigens and other surface components relatively unmodified, while eliminating the infectivity of a wide range of infectious agents. The kinetics of inactivation differ among RNA and DNA viruses photoreacted with different derivatives of psoralen. The inactivation kinetics are nonlinear as a result of photodegradation of psoralens and the unexplained biphasic inactivation of some viruses. In spite of these complexities, the photoreaction is capable of generating broad safety margins in the disinfection of microbial products under gentle, physiologic conditions. The psoralen photoreaction provides a potential method for inactivating both known and unknown viruses in active blood products. Psoralen-inactivated viruses have already proven useful as noninfectious antigens for use in immunoassays and as successful experimental vaccines.
authors.affiliation: Viral and Rickettsial Disease Laboratory, California Department of Health Services, Berkeley 94704.
authors.forename: C V
authors.initials: CV
authors.lastname: Hanson
mesh_terms: D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000187:drug effects / Q000528:radiation effects; D001116:Arenaviridae / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology / Q000528:radiation effects; D004249:DNA Damage; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000528:radiation effects; D004666:Encephalitis Virus, Venezuelan Equine / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology / Q000528:radiation effects; D011564:Furocoumarins / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000528:radiation effects; D007700:Kinetics; D010777:Photochemistry; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000528:radiation effects; D014466:Ultraviolet Rays; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000187:drug effects / Q000528:radiation effects; D018406:Virus Physiological Phenomena; D014779:Virus Replication / Q000187:drug effects / Q000528:radiation effects; D014780:Viruses / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology / Q000528:radiation effects
chemical_list: D000956:Antigens, Viral; D004279:DNA, Viral; D011564:Furocoumarins; D012367:RNA, Viral; D014764:Viral Proteins