Photodynamic Therapy in Cancer II

Dear Colleagues,

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) consists of three elements: a photosensitizer, light, and oxygen. Photoactivated chemotherapy is based on the use of inactive prodrugs whose biological activity is significantly increased upon exposure to light. As light can be delivered at a very high spatiotemporal resolution, this technique is a promising approach to selectively activate cytotoxic drugs at their site of action and thus improve the tolerability and safety of chemotherapy. The photosensitizer has the property of selective accumulation in abnormal or infected tissues without causing any damage to the healthy cells. Light-activable cytotoxic agents present a novel approach in targeted cancer therapy. The selectivity in addressing cancer cells is a crucial aspect in minimizing unwanted side effects that stem from unspecific cytotoxic activity of cancer chemotherapeutics. This innovative strategy can be applied to both cytotoxic metal complexes and organic compounds. This innovative therapeutic method has already been successfully adapted in many fields of medicine, e.g., dermatology, gynecology, lung diseases, ophthalmology, liver and oral disease, urology, and cancer therapy. The aim of this Special Issue is to present the current state of photoactivated cancer therapy and to identify its challenges and opportunities. It will have a practical approach for new users for widespread use, focusing on non-invasive imaging for early diagnosis and follow-up; tips and tricks from expert centers; off-label use and new application and/or formulations; medico-legal issues, aesthetic implications, and quality of life; with particular focus on the dermatologic field, since the incidence of non-melanoma skin cancers (NMSC) continues to grow at an alarming rate, becoming an occupational disease.

Dr. Carmen Cantisani
Prof. Giovanni Pellacani
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. 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.

• aesthetic outcome
• fibroblastic activity
• light, medico-legal issue
• non-invasive imaging
• NMSC
• off-label use
• photosensitizer