Pharmacologic Substance
photosensitizing agent
[ foh-tuh-sen-si-tahyz-ing ey-juhnt ]
Subclass of:
Radiation-Sensitizing Agents;
Dermatologic Agents
Definitions related to photosensitizing agents:
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A drug used in photodynamic therapy. When absorbed by cancer cells and exposed to light, the drug becomes active and kills the cancer cells.NCI Dictionary of Cancer TermsU.S. National Cancer Institute, 2021
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Any pharmaceutical that is administered as an inactive precursor that can be converted to its pharmacologically active form through exposure to ultraviolet radiation or sunlight.NCI ThesaurusU.S. National Cancer Institute, 2021
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Class of compounds which react with incident light to produce biological effects in organisms which have ingested or absorbed them; e.g., certain antibiotics which cause adverse reaction to sun exposure.CRISP ThesaurusNational Institutes of Health, 2006
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Drugs that are pharmacologically inactive but when exposed to ultraviolet radiation or sunlight are converted to their active metabolite to produce a beneficial reaction affecting the diseased tissue. These compounds can be administered topically or systemically and have been used therapeutically to treat psoriasis and various types of neoplasms.NLM Medical Subject HeadingsU.S. National Library of Medicine, 2021
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