The photodynamic therapy: state of the art and perspectives

Abstract : Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a method of medical treatment using the concomitant action of a photoactivatable molecule called the photosensitizer (PS), light, and oxygen naturally present in the biological medium. After light excitation of the photosensitizer, an energy transfer to oxygen allows to generate the formation of reactive oxygen species, especially singlet oxygen reactive leading to cell death. This technique proves to be very efficient for certain types of cancer (especially in dermatology) and is promising in other pathologies (prostate, brain). This article briefly describes the principle of PDT and then analyzes the latest advances in PDT in terms of clinical applications (actinic keratoses, prostate, brain cancer, retinoblastoma) and the use of PDT for antibacterial applications. Finally, the prospects of this technique with among others the development of new vesicles or the use of X-rays as a source of energy to overcome the problems of light penetration in tissues are presented.