New nanomaterials for the improvement of psoriatic lesions.

The main purpose of the present paper is to emphasize the non-invasive effect of some new prepared nanomaterials on skin diseases (psoriasis) together with the procedures to obtain them. These new materials are based on gold nanoparticles and natural compounds extracted from native plants of the Adoxaceae family (European cranberrybush -Viburnum opulus L. and European black elderberry -Sambucus nigra L.

Photodamaging effects of porphyrins and chitosan on primary human keratinocytes and carcinoma cell cultures.

Background: Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a non-surgical method for treating non-melanoma skin cancer and precancerous lesions which involves the activation of a photosensitizer by visible light to produce activated oxygen species within target cells, resulting in the destruction of the latter. The present study evaluates the effect of PDT on primary normal and basal cell carcinoma cultures in vitro.

Methods: Primary human keratinocytes and carcinoma cell cultures were exposed to various concentrations of 5,10,15,20-tetra-(para-methoxyphenyl) porphyrin (TMP) and its zinc compound (Zn-TMP) for 24 hours, with or without chitosan, and then irradiated using a PDT lamp (630 nm, 6 J/cm(2)).

Photodynamic therapy--indications and limits in malignant tumors treatment.

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a very promising technique used for the treatment of a variety of solid neoplasms, based on the formation of singlet oxygen induced by a photosensitizer after irradiation with visible light. The mechanism of interaction of the photosensitizers and light is discussed, along with the effects produced in the target tissue. PDT has been approved in many countries for the treatment of lung, esophageal, bladder, skin and head and neck cancers.