Nucleic acid-targeting photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a promising type of targeted therapy that is being actively researched. This treatment relies on special photosensitizers, a type of drug that binds at specific locations in a cell’s DNA. Once bound, the cells are irradiated at a precise frequency, which in turn causes the photosensitizer to produce reactive oxygen species (ROS) or singlet oxygen (1O2) molecules. These molecules tend to oxidize nearby nucleic acids, damaging the genetic material and ultimately killing the irradiated cell.
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Source: Phys.org