PDT as a selective and minimally invasive strategy is affordable and widely available.

PDT can be used to inhibit cell infection and destroy cancer cells.

Safe autologous transplantation can be possible using ex vivo PDT-purging.

PDT is an option for ex vivo purging before hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

Ex vivo PDT has a great potential to be used before ovarian tissue transplantation.

The field of photodynamic therapy (PDT) for treating various malignant neoplasms has been given researchers' attention due to its ability to be a selective and minimally invasive cancer therapy strategy. The possibility of tumor cell infection and hence high recurrence rates in cancer patients tends to restrict autologous transplantation. So, the photodynamic tissue purging process, which consists of selective photoinactivation of the malignant cells in the graft, is defined as a compromising strategy to purify contaminated tissues before transplantation. In this strategy, the direct malignant cells' death results from the reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation through the activation of a photosensitizer (PS) by light exposure in the presence of oxygen. Since new PS generations can effectively penetrate the tissue, PDT could be an ideal ex vivo tissue purging protocol that eradicates cancer cells derived from various malignancies. The challenge is that the applied pharmacologic ex vivo tissue purging should efficiently induce tumor cells with minor influence on normal tissue cells. This review aims to provide an overview of the current status of the most effective PDT strategies and PS development concerning their potential application in ex vivo purging before hematopoietic stem cell or ovarian tissue transplantation.

Photodynamic therapy

Photosensitizer

Tissue purging

Cancer therapy

Nanomedicine

Aluminum phthalocyanine

chlorin e6-monoethylenediamine monoamide

chorioallantoic membrane

chronic myeloid leukemia

di-sulfo-di-phthalimidomethyl phthalocyanine zinc

enhanced permeability and retention

graft-versus-host disease

mono-α-substituted zinc (II) phthalocyanine

porphyrin-peptide-folate

positron emission tomography

reactive oxygen species

yes-associated protein/transcriptional co-activator with PDZ-binding motif

4,5-dibromorhodamine methyl ester

© 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.