Editorial:Photodynamic Therapy 2.0

In 1903, Von Tappeiner and Jesionek demonstrated the effectiveness of light therapy when combined with a photosensitizer and oxygen—a phenomenon known as “photody- namic action”. Photodynamic therapy is widely used in the medical field to treat a variety of oncological and non-oncological human disorders; it generates a high amount of reactive oxygen species that destroy oncological tissue, keratosis, and pathogens. In contrast, recent studies have demonstrated that mild PDT also has beneficial effects, such as wound healing, stress and pathogen resistance, and extended lifespan in animal models, such as Caenorhabditis elegans, under both normal and pathogen-infected conditions. This Editorial, published in Biomedicines, provides a current and concise overview of “Photodynamic Therapy 2.0” and discusses recent studies pertaining to PDT. We provide a summary of the various contributions to date, emphasizing novel analytical methods and recent advancements in PDT.