Therapeutic compositions derived from photoactive compounds

A therapeutic composition comprising:

• a conveyor;
• a photoactive compound affixed to said conveyor to give a resultant article, said photoactive compound being characterized in that it has at least one chromophore and that it is susceptible to activation by an activating agent;
• and
• said resultant article being subjected to a sufficient amount of activating agent to activate said photoactive active compound prior to being brought into contact with body tissue to be treated such that the photoactive compound is activated to produce a resultant therapeutic agent, said therapeutic agent being characterized in that subsequent to activation, it is capable of interacting with, and destroying, tumors or other pathogenic biological contaminants infecting said body tissue by contact therewith;
• that, subsequent to activation, it is, at effective dosages, relatively non-toxic to normal tissues or normal cells;
• and that its therapeutic properties are retained for at least a time sufficient to destroy said tumors or other pathogenic biological contaminants.

A therapeutic composition comprising:

• a conveyor;
• a photoactive compound covalently coupled to said conveyor to give a resultant composition said photoactive compound being characterized as having at least one chromophore and being susceptible to activation by an activating agent;
• and
• said resultant composition being subjected to a sufficient amount of activating agent to pre-activate said photoactive compound, said photoactive compound being characterized as, after activation, having a preferential toxicity toward undesirable cells or pathogenic biological contaminants infecting an animal body or tissue, and as having therapeutic activities for at least long enough to destroy said undesirable cells or pathogenic biological contaminants.