REVIEW  PDT FOR NON-MELANOMA SKIN CANCER 

Giornale Italiano di Dermatologia e Venereologia 2018 December;153(6):833-46

DOI: 10.23736/S0392-0488.18.06007-8

Copyright © 2018 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: English

Antimicrobial effects of photodynamic therapy

Vanesa PÉREZ-LAGUNA ^{1, 2}, Ana J. GARCÍA-MALINIS ³, Carmen ASPIROZ ⁴, Antonio REZUSTA ^{1, 5}, Yolanda GILABERTE ^{1, 6} ✉

¹ IIS Aragón, Zaragoza, Spain; ² University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain; ³ Unit of Dermatology, Hospital San Jorge, Huesca, Spain; ⁴ Unit of Microbiology, Hospital Royo Villanova, Zaragoza, Spain; ⁵ Department of Microbiology, Hospital Universitario Miguel Servet, Zaragoza, Spain; ⁶ Department of Dermatology, Hospital Universitario Miguel Servet, Zaragoza, Spain

The microorganisms that cause infections are increasing their resistance to antibiotics. In this context, alternative treatments are necessary. The antimicrobial photodynamic therapy (aPDT) is a therapeutic modality based on photosensitizing molecules that end up generating reactive oxygen species that induce the destruction of the target cells when are irradiated with light of a suitable wavelength and at a proper dose. The cells targeted by aPDT are all types of microorganisms (bacteria, fungi and parasites) including viruses and has been proven effective against representative members of all of them. In the field of dermatology, aPDT has been tested with promising results in different infections such as chronic ulcers, acne, onychomycosis and other cutaneous mycoses, as well as in leishmaniasis. Therefore, it is presented as a possible treatment option against the agents that cause skin and/or mucous infections.

KEY WORDS: Photochemotherapy - Anti-infective agents - Skin