Phototherapy and optical waveguides for the treatment of infection

Dingbowen Wang; Michelle Laurel Kuzma; Xinyu Tan; Tong-Chuan He; Cheng Dong; Zhiwen Liu; Jian Yang

doi:10.1016/j.addr.2021.114036

Phototherapy and optical waveguides for the treatment of infection

Adv Drug Deliv Rev. 2021 Dec:179:114036. doi: 10.1016/j.addr.2021.114036. Epub 2021 Nov 3.

Authors

Dingbowen Wang¹, Michelle Laurel Kuzma¹, Xinyu Tan², Tong-Chuan He³, Cheng Dong¹, Zhiwen Liu⁴, Jian Yang⁵

Affiliations

¹ Department of Biomedical Engineering, Materials Research Institute, The Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA.
² Department of Biomedical Engineering, Materials Research Institute, The Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA; Academy of Orthopedics, Provincial Key Laboratory of Bone and Joint Degenerative Diseases, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province 510280, China.
³ Molecular Oncology Laboratory, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Rehabilitation Medicine, The University of Chicago Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60637, USA; Department of Surgery, The University of Chicago Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60637, USA.
⁴ Department of Electrical Engineering, Materials Research Institute, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA.
⁵ Department of Biomedical Engineering, Materials Research Institute, The Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA. Electronic address: jxy30@psu.edu.

Abstract

With rapid emergence of multi-drug resistant microbes, it is imperative to seek alternative means for infection control. Optical waveguides are an auspicious delivery method for precise administration of phototherapy. Studies have shown that phototherapy is promising in fighting against a myriad of infectious pathogens (i.e. viruses, bacteria, fungi, and protozoa) including biofilm-forming species and drug-resistant strains while evading treatment resistance. When administered via optical waveguides, phototherapy can treat both superficial and deep-tissue infections while minimizing off-site effects that afflict conventional phototherapy and pharmacotherapy. Despite great therapeutic potential, exact mechanisms, materials, and fabrication designs to optimize this promising treatment option are underexplored. This review outlines principles and applications of phototherapy and optical waveguides for infection control. Research advances, challenges, and outlook regarding this delivery system are rigorously discussed in a hope to inspire future developments of optical waveguide-mediated phototherapy for the management of infection and beyond.

Keywords: Infection treatment; Optical waveguides; Photodynamic therapy; Phototherapy; Photothermal therapy.

Publication types

Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
Review

MeSH terms

Communicable Diseases / drug therapy*
Humans
Low-Level Light Therapy / methods
Nanoparticle Drug Delivery System / chemistry*
Photochemotherapy / methods*
Photosensitizing Agents / administration & dosage
Photosensitizing Agents / pharmacology

Substances

Nanoparticle Drug Delivery System
Photosensitizing Agents

Abstract

Publication types

MeSH terms

Substances

Grants and funding