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Biomedicines
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Photodynamic Therapy (4th Edition)
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Photodynamic Therapy (4th Edition)

A special issue of Biomedicines (ISSN 2227-9059). This special issue belongs to the section "Immunology and Immunotherapy".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 July 2026 | Viewed by 2461

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Stefano Bacci

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Research Unit of Histology and Embryology, Department of Biology, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
Interests: photobiology; photoimmunology; phototherapy; targeted therapies; photobiomodulation; wound healing; basic sciences
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Dedicating a volume to photodynamic therapy is important because it highlights the various efforts being made to understand the importance of this therapy. In 1903, Von Tappeiner, Director of the Department of Pharmacology at the University of Munich, in collaboration with his student, Oscar Raab, demonstrated the therapeutic action of light combined with a photosensitizer and oxygen, coining the term "photodynamic action". Since then, numerous studies have experimentally verified the efficacy of photodynamic theory in different biological structures. In medicine, the use of photodynamic therapy (PDT) is now well documented and codified for the treatment of oncological and non-oncological diseases, including macular degeneration of the retina and carcinomas of the esophagus and lung. In dermatology, the applications of PDT include treating oncological diseases such as basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and actinic keratoses. It is also used to treat non-oncological issues, such as bacterial, fungal, viral, immunological, or inflammatory infections in chronic wounds. Moreover, in cosmetology, it is used for photorejuvenation. PDT is based on the cytotoxic action of hyperactive oxygen species, particularly singlet oxygen, and superoxide anion and hydroxyl radicals, which are generated by the transfer of energy and/or electrons from a photoexcited oxygen sensitizer. Three important mechanisms are responsible for the efficacy of PDT: (1) direct tumor cell death or inflammation, (2) damage to tumor vessels, and (3) an immunological response associated with leukocyte stimulation and the release of interleukins and other cytokines, growth factors, complement components, acute phase proteins, and other immunoregulators.

Following the first three editions, we are now launching the fourth volume. This new Special Issue will continue to cover all aspects of photodynamic therapy, including new natural and synthetic photosensitizers, biomaterials, nanotechnologies, in vitro and in vivo studies. Through collaboration, this volume will strengthen and stimulate further research.

Dr. Stefano Bacci
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Biomedicines is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • antimicrobial photodynamic treatment
  • chronic wounds
  • inflammatory dermatoses
  • photobiology photochemistry
  • photochemotherapy
  • photosensitizing agents
  • skin cancer
  • oral mucosa

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Related Special Issues

Published Papers (3 papers)

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16 pages, 2347 KB  
Article
Pachychoroid-Related Pigment Epithelial Detachment Treated with Photodynamic Therapy
by Maciej Gawęcki, Karolina Mach, Krzysztof Kiciński and Andrzej Grzybowski
Biomedicines 2026, 14(3), 620; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomedicines14030620 - 10 Mar 2026
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Abstract
Background: Pachychoroid pigment epitheliopathy (PPE) is a non-exudative entity within the pachychoroid disease spectrum characterized by increased choroidal thickness and isolated serous pigment epithelial detachment (PED) without subretinal fluid. Although photodynamic therapy (PDT) is established for chronic central serous chorioretinopathy (CSC), its efficacy [...] Read more.
Background: Pachychoroid pigment epitheliopathy (PPE) is a non-exudative entity within the pachychoroid disease spectrum characterized by increased choroidal thickness and isolated serous pigment epithelial detachment (PED) without subretinal fluid. Although photodynamic therapy (PDT) is established for chronic central serous chorioretinopathy (CSC), its efficacy in isolated pachychoroid-related PED remains insufficiently defined, with available evidence limited to small case series. Purpose: This study aims to characterize symptomatic pachychoroid-related PED and evaluate anatomical and functional outcomes following half-dose PDT (hd-PDT), with additional analysis according to lesion localization and CSC history. Methods: This retrospective study included 34 eyes of 27 patients treated with hd-PDT between June 2022 and December 2024. PEDs were categorized as central (fovea-involving) or paramacular. Best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and spectral-domain optical coherence tomography parameters—central subfield thickness (CST), mean subfield thickness (MST), macular volume (MV), subfoveal choroidal thickness (SFCT), and PED height—were assessed at baseline, 1 month, and 6 months. Treatment planning was based on indocyanine green angiography (ICGA) and spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) findings. Statistical analyses employed non-parametric tests and generalized estimating equations. Results: Central lesions were associated with longer disease duration, worse baseline BCVA, and greater retinal thickness and PED height (p < 0.05). Complete PED resorption occurred in 79.4% of eyes at 1 month and 73.5% at 6 months (central: 86.3% and 81.8%; paramacular: 66.6% and 58.3%). Mean BCVA improved significantly from 0.22 ± 0.24 to 0.10 ± 0.16 logMAR at 6 months (p < 0.0001), with greater functional gain in central lesions. Significant reductions were observed in CST, MST, MV, and PED height, whereas SFCT remained stable. Better final BCVA correlated with younger age, shorter disease duration, smaller baseline retinal volume, smaller PDT spot size, and absence of CSC history. Non-responders had worse baseline BCVA, higher PED height, and larger treatment areas. No treatment-related complications were detected. Conclusions: Half-dose PDT was associated with favorable anatomical and functional outcomes in symptomatic pachychoroid-related PED, particularly in centrally located lesions. Baseline disease severity appeared to influence treatment response. Prospective studies with longer follow-up are warranted to confirm long-term efficacy and safety. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Photodynamic Therapy (4th Edition))
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Review

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35 pages, 2322 KB  
Review
5-ALA in Oncology: Current Clinical Applications, Biological Limitations, and Emerging Translational Strategies
by Julia Inglot, Dorota Bartusik-Aebisher, Angelika Myśliwiec, Klaudia Dynarowicz, Avijit Paul, Marvin Xavierselvan and David Aebisher
Biomedicines 2026, 14(6), 1314; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomedicines14061314 (registering DOI) - 10 Jun 2026
Abstract
5-Aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA) has emerged as an important theranostic agent in oncology due to its selective intracellular conversion to protoporphyrin IX (PpIX), enabling both photodynamic diagnosis (PDD) and photodynamic therapy (PDT). This narrative review summarizes current knowledge regarding the biological mechanisms underlying 5-ALA [...] Read more.
5-Aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA) has emerged as an important theranostic agent in oncology due to its selective intracellular conversion to protoporphyrin IX (PpIX), enabling both photodynamic diagnosis (PDD) and photodynamic therapy (PDT). This narrative review summarizes current knowledge regarding the biological mechanisms underlying 5-ALA metabolism, selective tumor accumulation, and the clinical applications of 5-ALA-based approaches across multiple oncological indications. Particular emphasis is placed on glioblastoma, head and neck lesions, dermatological malignancies, urological cancers, gynecological lesions, and emerging translational applications. The review also discusses key biological and technical limitations, including tumor hypoxia, restricted light penetration, heterogeneous PpIX accumulation, resistance mechanisms, and tumor-specific variability. Recent advances in drug delivery systems, nanotechnology, sonodynamic therapy, radiodynamic strategies, and combination immunotherapeutic approaches are also highlighted. Collectively, current evidence indicates that while 5-ALA has established clinical utility in selected indications, many applications remain preclinical or early translational, underscoring the need for further well-designed clinical studies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Photodynamic Therapy (4th Edition))
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17 pages, 1517 KB  
Review
An Update on the Correlation Between Neuroimmunomodulation, Photodynamic Therapy (PDT), and Wound Healing: The Role of Mast Cells
by Montserrat Fernandez-Guarino, Luis Alonso-Mtz de Salinas, Jorge Naharro-Rodriguez and Stefano Bacci
Biomedicines 2026, 14(2), 280; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomedicines14020280 - 27 Jan 2026
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 851
Abstract
This review presents some aspects of the complex relationship between neuroimmunomodulation, photodynamic therapy, and wound healing. This relationship is important because photodynamic therapy, currently used to treat chronic wounds, has numerous effects on so-called neuroimmunomodulation, or the influence the nervous system has on [...] Read more.
This review presents some aspects of the complex relationship between neuroimmunomodulation, photodynamic therapy, and wound healing. This relationship is important because photodynamic therapy, currently used to treat chronic wounds, has numerous effects on so-called neuroimmunomodulation, or the influence the nervous system has on immune cells. Consequently, the cellular and molecular mechanisms of wound healing and the alterations of these mechanisms that lead to the formation of chronic wounds are first considered. This view is subsequently broadened to include the effects produced by neuroimmunomodulation throughout the various phases of wound healing and the alterations produced in chronic wounds. Throughout the above, the role of mast cells, the main inflammatory cells that play a key role in wound healing, is highlighted. In this context, mast cells, located in close anatomical and functional proximity to peripheral nerve endings, act as key neuroimmune intermediaries. Upon activation, mast cells release inflammatory mediators that directly influence wound tissue and sensitize nearby nerve fibers. In turn, peripheral nerves release neuropeptides that further modulate immune cell activity, vascular responses, and tissue repair processes. All of this is in turn linked to the clinical evidence that photodynamic therapy, by virtue of the cellular and molecular mechanisms involved, can indeed be considered involved in the healing of chronic wounds. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Photodynamic Therapy (4th Edition))
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