Nitroreductase-activatable photosensitizers for selective antimicrobial photodynamic therapy.

Antimicrobial photodynamic therapy (aPDT) utilizes light, oxygen and a photosensitizer (PS) to enact cell death the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). This mechanism of cell death, oxidative stress, has allowed aPDT to be effective against antibiotic-resistant bacterial strains, with the development of resistance being minimal as no specific pathway is targeted. While promising, as ambient light can activate PSs, damage to mammalian tissues can occur, leading to drug-induced photosensitivity.