Photodynamic Therapy by singlet oxygen generation

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a non-invasive therapeutic technique against cancer and age-related macular degeneration (AMD), but also as alternative treatment against drug resistant bacteria. PDT requires photosensitizers (PSs) which, upon appropriate irradiation, will generate highly cytotoxic singlet oxygen (¹O₂), causing cell death of targeted cancer. Our interest is focused toward PSs based on long living-excited state molecular systems such as phosphorescent iridium(III) complexes, the latter displaying intrinsically desirable characteristics: (i) low toxicity; (ii) ability to penetrate cells (cytoplasm and/or organelles); (iii) efficient absorption of light in the visible or even in the transparency window of tissues; (iv) the presence of the heavy atom allows for the quasi-quantitative generation of the triplet state, which is generally associated with high ¹O₂ generation; and (v) they are photobleaching resistant. 

Collaboration
Dr. Amandine Hurbin, Institut for advanced Sciences (IAB), Grenoble