New techniques in antimicrobial photodynamic therapy: scope of application and overcoming drug resistance in nosocomial infections.

Given the ever increasing problem of antibiotic resistance in nosocomial pathogens it is important to promote
alternate technologies that may be more affective than current antibiotics. This article reviews Photodynamic
Antimicrobial Chemotherapy (PACT), a technology based on the use of a photosensitizer activated by visible
light illumination and found to be effective against most types of microbial pathogens, including those
resistant to antibiotics. PACT nonetheless has certain limitations, particularly against internal and blood-borne
infections. To this end, we are developing Chemiluminescent Photodynamic Antimicrobial Therapy (CPAT).
This review also summarizes our recent data on CPAT. The practical advantages of CPAT emphasize that this
novel technique could expand efforts to control nosocomial pathogens, including those responsible for
systemic infections.