Photodynamic inactivation of mammalian viruses and bacteriophages

Abstract

Photodynamic inactivation (PDI) has been used to inactivate microorganisms through the use of photosensitizers. The inactivation of mammalian viruses and bacteriophages by photosensitization has been applied with success since the first decades of the last century. Due to the fact that mammalian viruses are known to pose a threat to public health and that bacteriophages are frequently used as models of mammalian viruses, it is important to know and understand the mechanisms and photodynamic procedures involved in their photoinactivation. The aim of this review is to (i) summarize the main approaches developed until now for the photodynamic inactivation of bacteriophages and mammalian viruses and, (ii) discuss and compare the present state of the art of mammalian viruses PDI with phage photoinactivation, with special focus on the most relevant mechanisms, molecular targets and factors affecting the viral inactivation process.

Keywords: bacteriophages; mammalian viruses; photodynamic therapy; photosensitizer; viral photoinactivation process.

Figure 1

Structure of some tetrapyrrolic macrocycles with natural occurrence.

Figure 2

Skeletons of some synthetic pyrrolic macrocycles used as photosensitizers.

Figure 3

Structure of some non-tetrapyrrolic photosensitizers.

Figure 4

Schematic representation of the photosensitization process (adapted from [97]).