title: Photodynamic therapy as an antifungal treatment.
abstract: Photodynamic therapy (PDT) involves the systemic or topical application of a photosensitizer (PS), alongside the selective illumination of the target lesion with light of an appropriate wavelength, in order to promote localized oxidative photodamage and subsequent cell death. Numerous studies have demonstrated that PDT is highly effective in the destruction of fungiin vitro. The mechanism underlying the effects of PDT results from the photons of visible light of an appropriate wavelength interacting with the intracellular molecules of the PS. Reactive species are produced as a result of the oxidative stress caused by the interaction between the visible light and the biological tissue. At present, no antifungal treatment based on PDT has been licensed. However, antifungal PDT is emerging as an area of interest for research.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Liuzhou Municipal Liutie Central Hospital, Liuzhou, Guangxi 545007, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Y I
authors.initials: YI
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Liuzhou Municipal Liutie Central Hospital, Liuzhou, Guangxi 545007, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Li-Ming
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Liuzhou Municipal Liutie Central Hospital, Liuzhou, Guangxi 545007, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Yong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi 530021, P.R. China.
authors.forename: You-Kun
authors.initials: YK
authors.lastname: Lin
keywords: fungi; photodynamic therapy