Nondrug Antimicrobial Techniques: Electromagnetic Fields and Photodynamic Therapy
Rezaee Zohre, Yadollahpour Ali*, Jalilifar Mostafa, Rashidi SamanehDepartment of Medical Physics, School of Medicine, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran
Abstract: Developing nondrug antimicrobial and antibacterial treatment techniques are necessary because of the emergence of antibiotic resistance worldwide. Photodynamic therapy (PDT) and electromagnetic therapy (EMFT) are two examples of these approaches. Antimicrobial photodynamic therapy is a novel and promising technique that involves the simultaneous presence of visible light, oxygen and a photosensitizer (PS). It can be applied for eradicating pathogenic microorganisms such as Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, yeasts and fungi. Moreover, electric fields, magnetic fields and pulsed EMFs (PEMFs) are common approaches showing promising antimicrobial effects. These treatments can be used as alternative or adjunctive treatment for some infections. This paper reviews the recent developments and basic principles of nondrug antimicrobial techniques focusing on EMFs and PDT techniques. The future perspectives of these techniques as well as clinical considerations are discussed.
Keywords: Photodynamic Therapy; Electromagnetic Fields; Antimicrobial Effect Back to TOC