title: Photodynamic therapy for infections: clinical applications.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Photodynamic therapy (PDT) was discovered over 100 years ago by its ability to kill various microorganisms when the appropriate dye and light were combined in the presence of oxygen. However it is only in relatively recent times that PDT has been studied as a treatment for various types of localized infections. This resurgence of interest has been partly motivated by the alarming increase in drug resistance amongst bacteria and other pathogens. This review will focus on the clinical applications of antimicrobial PDT.
  
  
  METHODS
  The published peer-reviewed literature was reviewed between 1960 and 2011.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The basics of antimicrobial PDT are discussed. Clinical applications of antimicrobial PDT to localized viral infections caused by herpes and papilloma viruses, and nonviral dermatological infections such as acne and other yeast, fungal and bacterial skin infections are covered. PDT has been used to treat bacterial infections in brain abscesses and non-healing ulcers. PDT for dental infections including periodontitis and endodontics has been well studied. PDT has also been used for cutaneous Leishmaniasis. Clinical trials of PDT and blue light alone therapy for gastric Helicobacter pylori infection are also covered.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  As yet clinical PDT for infections has been mainly in the field of dermatology using 5-aminolevulanic acid and in dentistry using phenothiazinium dyes. We expect more to see applications of PDT to more challenging infections using advanced antimicrobial photosensitizers targeted to microbial cells in the years to come.
authors: Wellman Center for Photomedicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
authors: Gitika B
authors: GB
authors: Kharkwal
authors: Sulbha K
authors: SK
authors: Sharma
authors: Ying-Ying
authors: YY
authors: Huang
authors: Tianhong
authors: T
authors: Dai
authors: Michael R
authors: MR
authors: Hamblin
mesh_terms: D003731:Dental Caries / Q000188:drug therapy; D006801:Humans; D007239:Infections / Q000188:drug therapy*; D030361:Papillomavirus Infections / Q000188:drug therapy; D010518:Periodontitis / Q000188:drug therapy; D010778:Photochemotherapy; D017319:Photosensitizing Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017192:Skin Diseases, Bacterial / Q000188:drug therapy; D013276:Stomach Ulcer / Q000188:drug therapy
chemical_list: D017319:Photosensitizing Agents