Photosensitive precursors to nitric oxide

The photochemistry and use of recently developed photosensitive precursors to nitric oxide (NO) are reviewed. As caged NO donors these precursors are able to deliver NO in a spatially and temporally controllable manner. These properties have made such precursors useful in applications in biology and medicine, especially in elucidating neurophysiological roles of NO and in new cancer therapies.