title: Photosensitizers in clinical PDT.
abstract: Photosensitizers in photodynamic therapy allow for the transfer and translation of light energy into a type II chemical reaction. In clinical practice, photosensitizers arise from three families-porphyrins, chlorophylls, and dyes. All clinically successful photosensitizers have the ability to a greater or lesser degree, to target specific tissues or their vasculature to achieve ablation. Each photosensitizer needs to reliably activate at a high enough light wavelength useful for therapy. Their ability to fluoresce and visualize the lesion is a bonus. Photosensitizers developed from each family have unique properties that have so far been minimally clinically exploited. This review looks at the potential benefits and consequences of each major photosensitizer that has been tried in a clinical setting.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Brody School of Medicine, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC 27858, USA; PDT Center, Leo Jenkins Cancer Center, Brody School of Medicine, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC 27858, USA.
authors.forename: Ron R
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Allison
authors.affiliation: PDT Center, Leo Jenkins Cancer Center, Brody School of Medicine, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC 27858, USA; Department of Medicine, Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Brody School of Medicine, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC 27858, USA.
authors.forename: Gordon H
authors.initials: GH
authors.lastname: Downie
authors.affiliation: PDT Center, Leo Jenkins Cancer Center, Brody School of Medicine, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC 27858, USA; Department of Surgical Oncology, Brody School of Medicine, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC 27858, USA.
authors.forename: Rosa
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cuenca
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Brody School of Medicine, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC 27858, USA; PDT Center, Leo Jenkins Cancer Center, Brody School of Medicine, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC 27858, USA; Department of Physics, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC 27858, USA.
authors.forename: Xin-Hua
authors.initials: XH
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.affiliation: PDT Center, Leo Jenkins Cancer Center, Brody School of Medicine, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC 27858, USA; Department of Medicine, Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Brody School of Medicine, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC 27858, USA.
authors.forename: Carter Jh
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Childs
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Brody School of Medicine, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC 27858, USA; PDT Center, Leo Jenkins Cancer Center, Brody School of Medicine, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC 27858, USA; Department of Physics, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC 27858, USA.
authors.forename: Claudio H
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Sibata