Abstract
The emergence of microbial resistance is becoming a global problem in clinical and environmental areas. As such, the development of drugs with novel modes of action will be vital to meet the threats created by the rise in microbial resistance. Microbial photodynamic inactivation is receiving considerable attention for its potentialities as a new antimicrobial treatment. This review addresses the interactions between photosensitizers and bacterial cells (binding site and cellular localization), the ultrastructural, morphological and functional changes observed at initial stages and during the course of photodynamic inactivation, the oxidative alterations in specific molecular targets, and a possible development of resistance.
Financial & competing interests disclosure
The authors are thankful to the University of Aveiro, Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT, Portugal), European Union, QREN, COMPETE and FEDER for funding the Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies (CESAM) unit (project Pest-C/MAR/LA0017/2013) and the QOPNA research unit (project PEst-C/QUI/UI0062/2013, FCOMP-01-0124-FEDER-037296). E Alves (SFRH/BD/41806/2007) is grateful to FCT for her doctoral grant. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.
No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.