Isolation, Synthesis, and Use of Natural Photosensitizers in the Treatment of Central Nervous System Tumors

Cancer is one of the leading causes of illness and death in the world. It is observed that the main reason for the low effectiveness of cancer treatment is limited bioavailability. Another noted cause is the lack of specificity of conventional chemotherapeutics, which contributes to the destruction of not only cancer cells, but also normal cells, and consequently leads to serious adverse effects. In recent years, researchers have paid special attention to the use of photodynamic therapy. Another major step in this progress is turning to photosensitizing natural compounds, which we present in this review. Natural photosensitizers are being investigated for their potential to treat central nervous system (CNS) tumors using photodynamic therapy (PDT). These compounds, derived from natural sources, offer an alternative to synthetic photosensitizers, potentially minimizing toxicity and enhancing therapeutic efficacy. Research focuses on isolating, synthesizing, and evaluating these natural photosensitizers for their ability to selectively accumulate in tumor cells and be activated by light to produce cytotoxic reactive oxygen species, leading to tumor cell death.