Photodynamic Therapy Applications of Phthalocyanine Compounds

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a minimally invasive treatment that leverages light-activated photosensitisers to produce cytotoxic reactive oxygen species selectively within diseased tissues. Phthalocyanine compounds, characterised by their rigid macrocyclic ring and intense near-infrared absorption, have become leading agents in PDT owing to their high singlet oxygen quantum yields. Structural modification through peripheral and axial substitution enables control over solubility, aggregation and tissue targeting. Upon irradiation, phthalocyanines transfer energy to molecular oxygen, generating singlet oxygen that triggers oxidative damage to cellular membranes, proteins and nucleic acids. Recent advances include the design of amphiphilic derivatives to balance aqueous dispersibility with membrane affinity, dendritic architectures to prevent aggregation, and conjugation with targeting ligands to enhance selective uptake by tumour cells. These innovations have broadened clinical applications from oncology to antimicrobial therapies, underscoring the global significance of phthalocyanine-based PDT in addressing resistant infections and improving cancer treatment outcomes.

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Photodynamic Therapy Applications of Phthalocyanine Compounds publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in photodynamic therapy applications of phthalocyanine compounds across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Photodynamic therapy: A treatment using light and a photosensitiser to generate reactive oxygen species that destroy targeted cells.

Phthalocyanine: A planar macrocyclic compound with strong near-infrared absorption, employed as a photosensitiser in PDT.

Photosensitiser: A molecule that, upon light absorption, transfers energy to oxygen to produce cytotoxic species.

Singlet oxygen: A high-energy form of molecular oxygen responsible for inducing oxidative cell damage in PDT.

Axial substitution: Chemical modification at the axial positions of metal-central phthalocyanines to adjust solubility and aggregation.

Amphiphilic: Describing a molecule with both hydrophilic and lipophilic domains, improving compatibility with biological environments.

References

1. Photodynamic therapy: Inception to application in breast cancer. The Breast (2016).
2. Assessing Amphiphilic ABAB Zn(II) Phthalocyanines with Enhanced Photosensitization Abilities in In Vitro Photodynamic Therapy Studies Against Cancer. Molecules (2020).
3. Dendritic, Water‐Soluble, and Nonaggregated Axially Substituted Silicon Phthalocyanine as Potential Endometrial Anticancer Agent. Applied Organometallic Chemistry (2024).