Photodynamic Therapeutic Strategies for Cancer Treatment
Summary
Photodynamic therapy (PDT) harnesses light-sensitive molecules known as photosensitizers to generate reactive oxygen species upon irradiation, leading to selective tumour cell death with minimal invasiveness. Central to this approach is the careful design of photosensitizers to optimise absorption within the phototherapeutic window, enhance tumour accumulation, and reduce off-target toxicity. Advances over the past decade have focused on the development of second- and third-generation agents, including porphyrin derivatives, phthalocyanines and metal-based complexes, often formulated within nanocarriers or chemical conjugates to improve solubility, cellular uptake and pharmacokinetics. Strategies such as subcellular targeting—particularly to mitochondria—near-infrared activation and dual modalities combining PDT with chemotherapy or radiotherapy have broadened the clinical potential of this modality. Recent efforts also address challenges of light penetration, oxygen dependence and photosensitizer photobleaching through novel agent design and light delivery techniques. Overall, photodynamic strategies offer a versatile platform for image-guided, combination and precision therapies that continue to advance cancer treatment paradigms internationally.
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Photodynamic Therapeutic Strategies for Cancer Treatment publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in photodynamic therapeutic strategies for cancer treatment across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Photosensitizer: a molecule that absorbs light and transfers energy to molecular oxygen or other substrates to produce cytotoxic species.
Photodynamic therapy (PDT): a treatment modality combining a photosensitizer, light and tissue oxygen to induce selective cell death.
Reactive oxygen species (ROS): highly reactive derivatives of oxygen, such as singlet oxygen, that mediate cellular damage in PDT.
Singlet oxygen quantum yield: the efficiency by which a photosensitizer generates singlet oxygen per photon absorbed.
Photobleaching: the irreversible loss of photosensitizer activity or fluorescence following prolonged light exposure.
Phototoxicity: cellular damage resulting from light-induced activation of a photosensitizer.
References
- Exceptional anticancer photodynamic properties of [1,4-Bis(3,6,9,12-Tetraoxatridec-1-yloxy)phthalocyaninato]zinc(II). Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology B Biology (2024).
- Photodynamic Therapy against Colorectal Cancer Using Porphin-Loaded Arene Ruthenium Cages. International Journal of Molecular Sciences (2024).
- Low-Dose Near-Infrared Light-Activated Mitochondria-Targeting Photosensitizers for PDT Cancer Therapy. International Journal of Molecular Sciences (2022).
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