Potential Applications of Photodynamic Therapy in Regenerative Medicine

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is an emerging field that uses light-activated drugs to produce specific biological effects in cells and tissues. Its particular strengths arise from the ability to spatially localize the biological responses by the way the light is applied; the range of possible mechanisms of action at the cell, tissue, and organism levels; and the combination of novel molecular and optical technologies. This paper presents the basic principles of PDT and considers some of the possible applications in regenerative medicine.