title: Antibodies armed with photosensitizers: from chemical synthesis to photobiological applications.
abstract: Targeting photosensitizers to cancer cells by conjugating them with specific antibodies, able to recognize and bind to tumor-associated antigens, is today one of the most attractive strategies in photodynamic therapy (PDT). This comprehensive review updates on chemical routes available for the preparation of photo-immunoconjugates (PICs), which show dual chemical and biological functionalities: photo-properties of the photosensitizer and the immunoreactivity of the antibody. Moreover, photobiological results obtained with such photo-immunoconjugates using in vitro and in vivo cancer models are also discussed.
authors.affiliation: QOPNA and Department of Chemistry, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal. jtome@ua.pt.
authors.forename: Patricia M R
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Pereira
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Korsak
authors.forename: Bruno
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Sarmento
authors.forename: Rudolf J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Schneider
authors.forename: Rosa
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Fernandes
authors.forename: João P C
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Tomé
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000906:Antibodies / Q000737:chemistry*; D006801:Humans; D018796:Immunoconjugates / Q000737:chemistry*; D017319:Photosensitizing Agents / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D000906:Antibodies; D018796:Immunoconjugates; D017319:Photosensitizing Agents