Cold Spring Harbor Symposia on Quantitative Biology · 1935 · 16 citations · 0 references
Natural SciencesBiologyBiophysicsBiomedical OpticsBiophotonicsBiophysical ChemistryPhotochemistryPhotodynamic TherapyPhotochemical EffectsPhotochemical ReactionsPhotophysical MechanismsPhotosensitizersPhotosensitizing Compounds
The type of photosensitization described by Oscar Raab (22) in 1900 has been most often referred to as photodynamic action, a term which implies a more general importance than can be attributed to the phenomenon. The term is convenient, however, and I shall employ it in my discussion to designate this particular type of photosensitization. Essentially, the phenomenon is the production of changes in biological systems by light acting upon a photosensitizing substance which has been added to the system. The photosensitizers include a wide range of natural and synthetic dyestuffs; the changes produced are usually destructive. While the attempt has been made to explain many types of photobiological phenomena in terms of such reactions, these attempts have generally failed. It will be the purpose of this paper to consider the mechanism of photodynamic action.