Chlorin Activity Enhancers for Photodynamic Therapy

Michalak, M ORCID: 0009-0005-1077-1671, Szymczyk, J, Pawska, A ORCID: 0009-0008-1187-5968, Wysocki, M ORCID: 0000-0003-3585-2716, Janiak, D ORCID: 0009-0005-0277-8048, Ziental, D ORCID: 0000-0002-4923-9982, Ptaszek, M, Güzel, E ORCID: 0000-0002-1142-3936 and Sobotta, L ORCID: 0000-0002-5062-4503 (2025) Chlorin Activity Enhancers for Photodynamic Therapy. Molecules, 30 (13). ISSN 1420-3049

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Abstract

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a non-invasive therapeutic method with over a century of medical use, especially in dermatology, ophthalmology, dentistry, and, notably, cancer treatment. With an increasing number of clinical trials, there is growing demand for innovation in PDT. Despite being a promising treatment for cancer and bacterial infections, PDT faces limitations such as poor water solubility of many photosensitizers (PS), limited light penetration, off-target accumulation, and tumor hypoxia. This review focuses on chlorins—well-established macrocyclic PSs known for their strong activity and clinical relevance. We discuss how nanotechnology addresses PDT’s limitations and enhances therapeutic outcomes. Nanocarriers like lipid-based (liposomes, micelles), polymer-based (cellulose, chitosan, silk fibroin, polyethyleneimine, PLGA), and carbon-based ones (graphene oxide, quantum dots, MOFs), and nanospheres are promising platforms that improve chlorin performance and reduce side effects. This review also explores their use in Antimicrobial Photodynamic Therapy (aPDT) against multidrug-resistant bacteria and in oncology. Recent in vivo studies demonstrate encouraging results in preclinical models using nanocarrier-enhanced chlorins, though clinical application remains limited.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	PDT; nanotechnology; chlorin e6; liposomes; PACT; Animals; Humans; Neoplasms; Porphyrins; Photosensitizing Agents; Drug Carriers; Photochemotherapy; Nanoparticles; PACT; PDT; chlorin e6; liposomes; nanotechnology; Photochemotherapy; Humans; Porphyrins; Photosensitizing Agents; Animals; Neoplasms; Nanoparticles; Drug Carriers; 3404 Medicinal and Biomolecular Chemistry; 3405 Organic Chemistry; 34 Chemical Sciences; Women's Health; Cancer; Radiation Oncology; Bioengineering; Nanotechnology; 5.1 Pharmaceuticals; Cancer; Photochemotherapy; Humans; Porphyrins; Photosensitizing Agents; Animals; Neoplasms; Nanoparticles; Drug Carriers; 0304 Medicinal and Biomolecular Chemistry; 0305 Organic Chemistry; 0307 Theoretical and Computational Chemistry; Organic Chemistry; 3404 Medicinal and biomolecular chemistry; 3405 Organic chemistry
Subjects:	R Medicine > RS Pharmacy and materia medica
Divisions:	Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences
Publisher:	MDPI
Date of acceptance:	27 June 2025
Date of first compliant Open Access:	14 September 2026
Date Deposited:	14 Sep 2026 14:23
Last Modified:	14 Sep 2026 14:23
DOI or ID number:	10.3390/molecules30132810
URI:	https://researchonline.ljmu.ac.uk/id/eprint/29405

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