Current status of liposomal porphyrinoid photosensitizers

• Liposomes as highly potent carriers for porphyrinoid photosensitizer delivery.
• Visudyne® – the first commercially available liposomal photosensitizer.
• Development of liposomal formulations for novel porphyrinoid photosensitizers.
• Modified properties of porphyrinoids in liposomal formulations.
• Prospects of liposomes for modified release and targeting in PDT.

The complete eradication of various targets, such as infectious agents or cancer cells, while leaving healthy host cells untouched, is still a great challenge faced in the field of medicine. Photodynamic therapy (PDT) seems to be a promising approach for anticancer treatment, as well as to combat various dermatologic and ophthalmic diseases and microbial infections. The application of liposomes as delivery systems for porphyrinoids has helped overcome many drawbacks of conventional photosensitizers and facilitated the development of novel effective photosensitizers that can be encapsulated in liposomes. The development, preclinical studies and future directions for liposomal delivery of conventional and novel photosensitizers are reviewed.