Photopharmacology

Photopharmacology is an emerging multidisciplinary field combining photochemistry and pharmacology. It is built on the ability of light to change the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of bioactive molecules, aiming to regulate the activity of drugs inside the body using light. This light-based modulation is achieved by incorporating molecular photoswitches, such as azobenzene and diarylethenes, or photocages, such as o-nitrobenzyl, coumarin and BODIPY compounds, into the drug itself, which helps prevent or minimize off-target activity and systemic side effects while allowing the treatment to be controlled with precise timing, location and dosage by tuning the light's wavelength and intensity.