Volume 64, Issue 30 e202509416
Minireview

Rational Design of Type-I Photodynamic Agents

Kun-Xu Teng

Kun-Xu Teng

Key Laboratory of Radiopharmaceuticals, Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875 P.R. China

Search for more papers by this author
Li-Ya Niu

Li-Ya Niu

Key Laboratory of Radiopharmaceuticals, Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875 P.R. China

Search for more papers by this author
Jiahui Li

Jiahui Li

Key Laboratory of Radiopharmaceuticals, Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875 P.R. China

Search for more papers by this author
Dongsheng Zhang

Dongsheng Zhang

School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang, Henan, 453007 P.R. China

Search for more papers by this author
Qing-Zheng Yang

Corresponding Author

Qing-Zheng Yang

Key Laboratory of Radiopharmaceuticals, Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875 P.R. China

E-mail: [email protected]

Search for more papers by this author
First published: 13 June 2025

Graphical Abstract

This Minireview offers a comprehensive overview of Type-I photodynamic therapy and outlines two design strategies for Type-I photodynamic agents: thermodynamic modulation through molecular engineering to block Type-II excitation energy transfer, and kinetic optimization of photoinduced electron/hydrogen transfer processes to enhance Type-I pathway.

Abstract

Type-I photodynamic agents can not only produce cytotoxic reactive oxygen species, but also directly damage biomolecules through electron/hydrogen transfer process, exhibiting reduced dependence on oxygen concentration in photodynamic therapy (PDT). The rational design of Type-I photodynamic agents has attracted increasing attention. This minireview provides a comprehensive overview of Type-I PDT and its advantages in treating hypoxic tumors. It systematically outlines two complementary design strategies: i) thermodynamic modulation through molecular engineering to block the Type-II energy transfer pathway, and ii) kinetic enhancement of electron/hydrogen transfer to favor the Type-I mechanism. Finally, key challenges in Type-I PDT are discussed, and future perspectives are highlighted to facilitate the clinical translation of Type-I photodynamic agents. We hope this review will stimulate further progress in the development of innovative PDT.

Conflict of Interests

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Data Availability Statement

Data sharing is not applicable to this article as no new data were created or analyzed in this study.

The full text of this article hosted at iucr.org is unavailable due to technical difficulties.