This paper reviews the main approaches that have been made worldwide over the past five years (1989 - 1993) in the effort to discover new and more effective sensitizers for tumor phototherapy. Advances in our understanding of haematoporphyrin derivative and its commercial variants are dealt with briefly. New compounds in the porphyrin, chlorin, bacteriochlorin and phthalocyanine series are discussed, and the relationship between spectroscopic and other physical properties and the photoactivity of the drug are explored. The prospects for future developments are considered briefly.

Date Published: 1 March 1994
PDF: 17 pages
Proc. SPIE 2078, Photodynamic Therapy of Cancer, (1 March 1994); doi: 10.1117/12.168648

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 2078:
Photodynamic Therapy of Cancer
Giulio Jori; Johan Moan; Willem M. Star, Editor(s)