title: Chemiluminescence and Bioluminescence as an Excitation Source in the Photodynamic Therapy of Cancer: A Critical Review.
abstract: Photodynamic therapy (PDT) of cancer is known for its limited number of side effects, and requires light, oxygen and photosensitizer. However, PDT is limited by poor penetration of light into deeply localized tissues, and the use of external light sources is required. Thus, researchers have been studying ways to improve the effectiveness of this phototherapy and expand it for the treatment of the deepest cancers, by using chemiluminescent or bioluminescent formulations to excite the photosensitizer by intracellular generation of light. The aim of this Minireview is to give a précis of the most important general chemi-/bioluminescence mechanisms and to analyze several studies that apply them for PDT. These studies have demonstrated the potential of utilizing chemi-/bioluminescence as excitation source in the PDT of cancer, besides combining new approaches to overcome the limitations of this mode of treatment.
authors.affiliation: Centro de Investigação em Química, Departamento de Química e Bioquímica, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, R. Campo Alegre 687, 4169-007, Porto, Portugal.
authors.forename: Carla M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Magalhães
authors.affiliation: Centro de Investigação em Química, Departamento de Química e Bioquímica, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, R. Campo Alegre 687, 4169-007, Porto, Portugal.|Centro de Investigação em Química, Departamento de Geociências, Ambiente e Ordenamento do Território, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, R. Campo Alegre 687, 4169-007, Porto, Portugal.
authors.forename: Joaquim C G
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8478-3441
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Esteves da Silva
authors.affiliation: Centro de Investigação em Química, Departamento de Química e Bioquímica, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, R. Campo Alegre 687, 4169-007, Porto, Portugal. LuisPdSilva@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Luís
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5647-8455
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Pinto da Silva
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D049454:Firefly Luciferin / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007093:Imidazoles / Q000378:metabolism; D049409:Luciferases, Firefly / Q000378:metabolism; D049410:Luciferases, Renilla / Q000378:metabolism; D049449:Luminescence; D049408:Luminescent Agents / Q000378:metabolism; D008165:Luminol / Q000378:metabolism; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism; D010778:Photochemotherapy / Q000379:methods*; D017319:Photosensitizing Agents / Q000378:metabolism / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011719:Pyrazines / Q000378:metabolism; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D007093:Imidazoles; D049408:Luminescent Agents; D017319:Photosensitizing Agents; D011719:Pyrazines; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; C017144:coelenterazine; D008165:Luminol; D049454:Firefly Luciferin; D049410:Luciferases, Renilla; D049409:Luciferases, Firefly
keywords: bioluminescence; cancer; chemiluminescence; photodynamic therapy; reactive oxygen species