A method for reversing or mitigating skin aging comprising topically applying a composition which comprises at least one oxidant, and at least one fluorescent dye capable of activating the oxidant and illuminating said composition for a time sufficient to activate the at least one oxidant.

The present invention is directed to the use of gold nanoparticles to enable vision in the visually impaired. Retinal neurons remain functional despite photoreceptor degeneration. These neurons can be made light-sensitive to produce action potentials, by gold nanoparticles conjugated to high-avidity ligands for a variety of cellular targets. Once bound to a neuron, these particles transduce millisecond pulses of light into heat, which changes membrane capacitance, depolarizing the cell and eliciting action potentials. The technology described herein along with a camera and decoder can be used to aid the visually impaired by stimulating cells to send the appropriate messages to the visual cortex.

The present invention provides a photosensitising composition comprising a mixture of: at least one surfactant; at least one alcohol; and/or water, with the proviso that when the at least one surfactant is an alcohol, it is different from the at least one alcohol. In particular, the composition may comprise a mixture of glycerol, ethanol and water. Alternatively, the composition may comprise a mixture of polyethylene glycol, ethanol and water. The photosensitising composition may further comprise at least one photosensitising compound. The present invention also provides a method of treating and/or preventing conditions caused by microorganisms in a subject.

The present invention relates to a composition and a kit of parts for antimicrobial photodynamic therapy and uses of the same, the composition comprising (a) hydrogen peroxide, carbamide peroxide and/or sodium hypochlorite and (b) at least one photosensitizer capable of being activated by light emitted in the blue spectrum, in particular curcumin, riboflavin and erythrosine.

The invention relates to a novel use of ultrafine nanoparticles, of use as a diagnostic, therapeutic or theranostic agent, characterized by their mode of administration via the airways. The invention is also directed toward the applications which follow from this novel mode of administration, in particular for imaging the lungs, and the diagnosis or prognosis of pathological pulmonary conditions. In the therapeutic field, the applications envisioned are those of radiosensitizing or radioactive agents for radiotherapy (and optionally curietherapy), or for neutron therapy, or of agents for PDT (photodynamic therapy), in particular for the treatment of lung tumors.

An improved method of promoting hair growth includes the use of one or more photosensitive curcuminoids, provided in combination with other hair growth components and preferably solubilized in bio-compatible materials to create a nano-particulate. These materials are introduced via fractional topical delivery and subsequently activated by exposure to specific wavelengths of light. This sequence results in improved hair growth in comparison to previously known methods, and the use of photosensitive curcuminoids in this manner may be employed to treat other skin disorders.

Biologically active compounds and their methods of preparation are provided that may be used as photosensitizers for diagnostic and therapeutic applications, particularly for PDT of cancer, infections and other hyperproliferative diseases, fluorescence diagnosis and PDT treatment of non-tumorous indications such as arthritis, inflammatory diseases, viral or bacterial infections, dermatological, otorhinolaryngology disorders, ophthalmological or urological disorders. As the compounds exhibit also toxicity against targets (tumor cells, bacteria, inflammation-related cells) without light these biologically active compounds may also be used for the light-independent treatment of such indications. Embodiments also include methods to synthesize boron dipyrromethene complex structures incorporating a substituted 2,3,5,6-tetrafluorophenyl-dipyrromethene (2,3,5,6-tetrafluorophenyldipyrrin) unit or a substituted 3-nitrophenyl-dipyrromethene (3-nitrophenyl-dipyrrin) unit. Amphiphilic compounds with increased anti-tumour and anti-bacterial efficacy are also provided. Specifically, this is achieved by substitution with bromine atoms and sugar moieties.

The present invention relates to small cationic ortho-5,15-di-heteroaryl porphyrin derivatives, in particular porphyrins, chlorins or bacteriochlorin of formula (I) or pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof.

This invention also relates to the use of the above-mentioned cationic ortho-5,10-di-heteroaryl porphyrin derivatives of Formula (I) or a pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof, in photodynamic inactivation of microorganisms, where the referred derivatives are able to treat the same in the presence of an adequate light.

The present invention also describes pharmaceutical compositions comprising one or more of the cationic ortho-5,10-di-heteroaryl porphyrin derivatives, in particular prophyrins, chlorins or bacteriochlorins of Formula (I), or pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof, for the treatment of bacterial and/or fungi and/or yeasts and/or viral infections, in humans or animals.

A photosensitizer and derivative, application thereof. The photosensitizer has the structure of general formula I, wherein X is S or Se, Y is organic or inorganic ion, R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 are independently selected from H, alkyl, alkoxy, alkyl amido, alkyl azide and the like; R.sub.3 is selected from H, alkyl, alkoxy, amino sulfonyl, hydroxyl, carboxyl and the like, and L.sub.1 is a linker selected from —(CH.sub.2).sub.n1— or —(CH.sub.2CH.sub.2O).sub.n2—. The derivatives are molecular medicines with drug molecules of anticancer and chemotherapy or tumor targeting function connected to the said photosensitizer. The photosensitizer has excellent near infrared characteristics and low dark toxicity and is used in the field of photodynamic tumor therapy. The introduction of benzophenothiazine or benzophenoselenazine into derivatives with tumor-targeting function could improve the specific uptake of photosensitizer in tumor tissues. Moreover, clinical anticancer drugs can be introduced into the structure of benzophenothiazine or benzophenoselenazine to achieve the purpose of combining therapy of photodynamic therapy and chemotherapy. ##STR00001##

Proposed is a porous silicon nanoparticle with isothiocyanate moiety conjugated to the surface. The porous silicon nanoparticle with isothiocyanate moiety conjugated to the surface has low side effects due to high biocompatibility, and can generate reactive oxygen species in cells without an external initiator, which can promote decomposition and release of supported drugs.