Photodynamic therapy for arthritis: A promising therapeutic strategy

Abstract Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a novel therapy that combines photosensitizers, light, and oxygen molecules to treat diseases such as joint lesions and microbial infections through photodynamic reactions. The photosensitizers are activated under specific wavelengths of laser radiation to generate reactive oxygen species, which alter the microenvironment of the diseased tissue, cause ischemia and target cell death, and thus effectively treat cancer. Now that there is growing evidence that nonlethal doses of PDT reduce inflammation and treat infections in multiple animal models of arthritis, PDT should be considered as a new option for the treatment of arthritis. This article presents a literature review of published original articles and review articles concerning photodynamic therapy and arthritis. We conducted a comprehensive literature search in PubMed, Web of Science and Google Scholar databases, excluding duplicated and irrelevant studies. In cases of duplicated research, we selected articles with higher impact factors for the review. In this review, we summarize the application and progress of PDT in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, psoriatic arthritis, and infectious arthritis, and clarify the advantages and limitations of PDT for arthritis. PDT offers therapeutic value for patients with inflammatory and infectious arthritis through promoting vascular occlusion, cell death, and antibacterial therapy.