The term “PUVA’ stands for ‘psoralen’ and ‘UV-A radiation.’ Psoralens are natural plant-based compounds that can be extracted from umbelliferous plants such as giant hogweeds. Plant extracts containing psoralens were already used in Ancient Egypt for the treatment of skin diseases. Modern medical use began in the 1950s. From then on, they were applied for light-dependent treatment of skin diseases such as psoriasis and vitiligo. From the 1970s onwards, PUVA therapy was used to treat a type of skin cancer known as cutaneous T-cell lymphoma.
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Source: Phys.org