The use of photosensitizers in photodynamic therapy

Abstract

Number of studies and advances in health has been made in the discovery of new photosensitizers (PS) proposed as potentially useful in photodynamic therapy (PDT) for the treatment of various diseases. Photodynamic therapy has been known and applied for over a hundred years, and it is used in the treatment of malignant and nonmalignant diseases, through the interaction of three factors: photosensitizer, light source and oxygen. These factors act intrinsically, so photodynamic effect not occurring separately. The photosensitizer administered to the patient, topically or systemically, plays a key role in the development of PDT. The photosensitizer agent is responsible for capturing light and its transformation into energy, resulting in factors capable of destroying the target, it's cannot exert toxicity beyond the affected area. Thus, researches are presented in constant development to find the photosensitizer as close to optimal. In this chapter, the reader will have access to information concerning the photosensitizer in PDT.