Novel phthalocyanine photosensitizers for photodynamic therapy of tumorous diseases

Charles University in Prague Faculty of Pharmacy in Hradec Králové Department of Biochemical Sciences Candidate: Kateřina Zvolánková Supervisor: Mgr. Miloslav Macháček Title of diploma thesis: Novel phthalocyanine photosensitizers for photodynamic therapy of tumorous diseases Oncological diseases are considered to be a serious global problem for many years. One of the most significant factors of their expansion in human population is an increasing life expectancy. Higher incidence of physical and chemical carcinogens and better diagnostic methods of malignant neoplasms are farther possible factors. According to World Health Organisation (WHO) almost 8 million people in the world die from oncological disease every year, whereas 1.7 million of them are Europeans. Malign tumours in Czech Republic, as well as in the world, are the second most frequent causes of death right after cardiovascular diseases, in both genders. Despite increasing incidence of malign tumours in the world, the mortality rate is decreasing. This decline is connected especially with higher quality of medical care together with availability of new diagnostic and therapeutic means. Thus the therapy of cancer is an important subject of biomedical research. Scientists have been trying to discover an effective and highly selective..