Photoantimicrobials—So what's stopping us?

Summary 

In the face of increasing multi-drug resistant bacteria, both in healthcare and the community, new drugs or novel methods of decontamination are required. The use of light-activated drugs – photoantimicrobials – has been promoted at various points during the past decade or more but has not yet gained meaningful clinical acceptance. Photoantimicrobials offer advantages over conventional drugs in attacking bacteria at various sites, rather than just one, and in the intermediacy of reactive oxygen species, against which there is little possibility of resistance.

Keywords: Drug resistance, Local therapy, Photoantimicrobial, Photodynamic antimicrobial chemotherapy (PACT), Topical therapy