Photosensitizers of the Porphyrin and Phthalocyanine Series for Photodynamic Therapy

摘要

As usual, the chemists have been very productive, and there are now more suggested photosensitizers than we know what to do with. It is noticeable that the large pharmaceutical companies have not revealed much interest in this area: maybe the unfamiliar requirement for laser technology has been a deterrent. But the possibility that other diseases, including, for example, psoriasis and viral and fungal conditions, may be amenable to photodynamic therapy, may change that perception. At any event, there is a need for organized biological testing, at which pharmaceutical companies have a wealth of experience, to compare the various photosensitizers with one another in a number of in vivo assays.