Optical properties of hematoporphyrin monomethyl ether (HMME), a PDT photosensitizer

We report on some of the optical properties of Hemoporfin® (hematoporphyrin monomethyl ether, HMME), a photodynamic therapy (PDT) photosensitizer that has been in clinical trials in China since the early 1990s. We characterized the photosensitizer on the basis of one- and two-photon absorption and fluorescence emission. The effects of photobleaching were probed to characterize its decay kinetics. Additionally, we determined time resolved fluorescence and thermal effects on fluorescence and absorption properties.