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Review
. 2020 Nov 18;25(22):5398.
doi: 10.3390/molecules25225398.

Photodynamic Therapy for Basal Cell Carcinoma: The Clinical Context for Future Research Priorities

Nicholas J Collier  1 , Lesley E Rhodes  1
Affiliations
Review

Photodynamic Therapy for Basal Cell Carcinoma: The Clinical Context for Future Research Priorities

Nicholas J Collier et al. Molecules. .

Abstract

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is an established treatment option for low-risk basal cell carcinoma (BCC). BCC is the most common human cancer and also a convenient cancer in which to study PDT treatment. This review clarifies challenges to researchers evident from the clinical use of PDT in BCC treatment. It outlines the context of PDT and how PDT treatments for BCC have been developed hitherto. The sections examine the development of systemic and subsequently topical photosensitizers, light delivery regimens, and the use of PDT in different patient populations and subtypes of BCC. The outcomes of topical PDT are discussed in comparison with alternative treatments, and topical PDT applications in combination and adjuvant therapy are considered. The intention is to summarize the clinical relevance and expose areas of research need in the BCC context, ultimately to facilitate improvements in PDT treatment.

Keywords: 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA); basal cell carcinoma(s) (BCC); methyl aminolevulinate (MAL); photodynamic therapy (PDT); photosensitizer; protoporphyrin IX (PpIX).

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Sonic hedgehog inhibitors developed via research using basal cell carcinoma (BCC), and now, these molecules are used in the treatment not only of metastatic and locally advanced BCC but, also, in treatment and research in a wide range of cancers, including breast cancer and pancreatic cancer [21].
Figure 2
Figure 2
Topical photodynamic therapy mechanisms of action (MAL, methyl aminolevulinate; ALA, aminolevulinic acid; PpIX, protoporphyrin IX; BCC, basal cell carcinoma; and ROS, reactive oxygen species).
Figure 3
Figure 3
Effects of topical photodynamic therapy on superficial BCC (sBCC) (MAL, methyl aminolevulinate; ALA, aminolevulinic acid; PpIX, protoporphyrin IX; and BCC, basal cell carcinoma).
Figure 4
Figure 4
Schematic indicating the remaining problems in the topical photodynamic therapy (PDT) of superficial basal cell carcinoma (sBCC). (MAL, methyl aminolevulinate; ALA, aminolevulinic acid; and BCC, basal cell carcinoma).
Figure 5
Figure 5
Molecular structures of the hydroxypyridinone iron chelator, CP94, 1,2-diethyl-3-hydroxypyridin-4-one, together with AP2–18; the aminolevulinic acid (ALA) prodrug developed from it, incorporating the iron chelator and the ALA prodrug in the same molecule [170,171,172].
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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