Development of Activatable Photosensitizer for Photodynamic Therapy of Cancer

Abstract

Photodynamic therapy is expected to be a minimally invasive treatment for cancer. Activatable photosensitizers have attracted considerable attention as one of the strategies for improving the minimally invasive properties. The activatable photosensitizer is in the photo-inactive (OFF) state in normal tissues; however, it is in the photoactive (ON) state in the tumor tissue. In this review, low pH- and sono-activatable photosensitizers are introduced.