“The Power of Light” in Biomedical and Pharmaceutics: New Approaches for Photodynamic Purposes

A special issue of Pharmaceutics (ISSN 1999-4923). This special issue belongs to the section "Drug Targeting and Design".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 November 2025 | Viewed by 31

Special Issue Editors


E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
CQ-VR—Chemistry Centre of Vila Real, University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, Quinta de Prados, 5001-801 Vila Real, Portugal
Interests: squaraine dyes; croconaine dyes; photosensitizers; fluorescent probes; medicinal chemistry
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
CQ-VR—Chemistry Centre of Vila Real, University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, Quinta de Prados, 5001-801 Vila Real, Portugal
Interests: dye chemistry; photosensitizers; photodynamic therapy; chemical biology; photobiology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

More than a century ago, the Swiss physician and naturopath Arnold Rickly famously stated "Water is good, air is better, and light is the best of all". What was once a philosophical reflection on the healing power of nature has now found solid ground in modern science.

Nowadays, light is no longer just a symbol of life and vitality: it is a precise, controllable tool with extensive therapeutic potential. Among the most exciting advances in this field is photodynamic therapy (PDT), a technique that harnesses the interplay between light and photosensitizers (PSs) to trigger localized biological effects. With its origins in oncology, PDT is now making waves far beyond cancer treatment, offering new possibilities in antimicrobial strategies, dermatology, ophthalmology, and even pharmaceutical delivery systems.

This Special Issue, “The Power of Light” in Biomedical and Pharmaceutics: New Approaches for Photodynamic Purposes, invites original research articles and reviews highlighting recent innovations in photodynamic strategies. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the development of novel PSs and PS-based systems, advanced light-delivery technologies, mechanistic insights, and interdisciplinary applications across biomedical and pharmaceutical sciences.

We look forward to receiving your contributions and to shedding light, both literally and figuratively, on the exciting boundaries of photodynamic knowledge. Pharmaceutics invites submissions related to drug delivery systems and innovative formulations, while Biomedicine encourages contributions centered on biological aspects.

You may choose our Joint Special Issue in Biomedicines.

Dr. Lucinda V. Reis
Dr. Eurico Lima
Guest Editors

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 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

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. Pharmaceutics 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 2900 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

  • light
  • photosensitizers
  • photochemistry
  • photobiology
  • photodynamic therapy

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers

This special issue is now open for submission.
Back to TopTop