用光敏性药物治疗肿瘤,具有独特的潜力,包括对内部肿瘤的治疗、免疫系统的修饰和控制药物的局部释放。古埃及人吃一种叫Ammimajus草,然后暴露于阳光下以治疗皮肤白斑病。现在知道这种草的活性成分是补骨脂素(psoralen)。1903年曾试用光敏性染料四溴荧光素和光治疗皮肤癌。50年代以来,用过补骨脂素治疗皮肤T细胞淋巴瘤,以及用血卟啉治疗各种类型的肿瘤。 The use of photosensitizing drugs for the treatment of tumours has unique potential, including treatment of internal tumours, modification of the immune system, and controlled local release of drugs. The ancient Egyptians took a grass called Ammimajus and then exposed to sunlight to treat skin white spot. It is now known that the active ingredient of this grass is psoralen. In 1903, the photosensitizing dye tetrabromofluorescein and light were used to treat skin cancer. Since the 1950s, psoralen has been used to treat cutaneous T-cell lymphomas and hematoporphyrins have been used to treat various types of tumors.