Boron dipyrromethene (BODIPY)-based photosensitizers for photodynamic therapy

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) has shown promise as an effective treatment modality for cancers and other localized diseases, such as age-related macular degeneration and actinic keratosis. PDT relies on light, photosensitizer and oxygen as elements in its mechanism of action. BODIPY photosensitizers that have been under extensive study over the past decade have been demonstrated as a new class of photosensitizers. In this review, we attempt to summarize the decade-long study of BODIPY-based photosensitizers. We provide an overview of the superior photophysical properties possessed by BODIPY-based agents and the various synthetic strategies employed that have led to improved and selective and/or targeted photosensitizers.