ABBRUZZETTI S.

Photosensitizing molecules have been at the basis of photodynamic therapy (PDT) since its early development in the 1950s. The therapy is a selective treatment method based on the administration of a photosensitizer to diseased cells: when irradiated with visible light of suitable wavelength, the photoactivated molecule starts a cascade of...

Zinc-substituted myoglobin (ZnMb) is a naturally occurring photosensitizer that generates singlet oxygen with a high quantum yield. Using a combination of photophysical and fluorescence imaging techniques, we demonstrate the interaction of ZnMb with Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus and Gram-negative Escherichia coli. An efficient...

Bioavailability of photosensitizers for cancer photodynamic therapy is often hampered by their low solubility in water. Here, we overcome this issue by using the water-soluble protein apomyoglobin (apoMb) as a carrier for the photosensitizer hypericin (Hyp). The Hyp-apoMb complex is quickly uptaken by HeLa and PC3 cells at submicromolar...