Advanced Photosensitizer Activation Strategies for Smarter Photodynamic Therapy Beacons

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a clinical treatment in which a light‐absorbing drug called a photosensitizer (PS) is combined with light and molecular oxygen to generate cytotoxic singlet oxygen. PDT provides additional tissue selectivity compared to conventional chemotherapy as singlet oxygen is generated only in areas in which PS accumulates and that are simultaneously illuminated by a light source with sufficient irradiance and dose. Early PDT beacons built on this concept by adding an analyte‐responsive element that simultaneously turns on PDT and fluorescence, providing both an additional layer of selectivity and real‐time feedback of the PS′s activation state. More recent PDT beacons have expanded this idea, with new methods now available for sensing analytes, generating singlet oxygen, and reporting treatment status. In this Minireview, we consider developments in advanced activation strategies implemented in therapeutic and theranostic beacons. Extreme Spezifität: Beacons/„Leuchtfeuer” für die photodynamische Therapie sind phototoxische Wirkstoffe, die nur bei Akkumulation im Gewebe, Aktivierung durch einen Analyten und externe Beleuchtung zytotoxisch werden. Gleichzeitig bietet ihr zytotoxischer Zustand eine optische Rückmeldung zur Überwachung einer Behandlung. Dieser Kurzaufsatz diskutiert jüngste Bemühungen um die Entwicklungen noch smarterer Beacons.