Porphyrin‐Based Nanostructures for Cancer Theranostics: Chemistry, Fundamentals and Recent Advances

Abstract

As heterocyclic macrocycle organic compounds, porphyrins can generate a rich platform of chemical behavior and characteristics conveniently utilized for multiple bioapplications, including bio‐sensors, fluorescence tracking, and in vivo imaging. The conjugation of nanotechnology and porphyrins presents a promising approach to enhance the safety and effectiveness of porphyrin‐based materials in phototherapy against cancer. Several nanoformulations, including organic and inorganic nanocarriers, porphyrin‐laden nanoparticles, porphyrin‐based amphiphilic molecules, supramolecular polymers, and porphyrin‐based block copolymers, have been investigated to deliver porphyrins, which protect the pre‐mature release of photosensitizer and provide tumor‐selective and site‐specific targeting. The monodisperse nanoparticles formed of biocompatible building block conjugates can be beneficially used to develop a multifunctional novel system utilized in optical imaging, positron emission tomography, photodynamic therapy, photothermal therapy, and other imaging modalities in one formulation. This topic is important because exploiting and knowing porphyrin‐based nanostructures aids in detecting pathological damages that cannot readily be discovered by routine imaging or physical examination and thus, helps early diagnosis of cancer. This critical review will assess the basic knowledge and updated information for a broad audience of scientists, engineers, and newcomers related to the porphyrin‐based nanostructures for cancer theranostics

Graphene quantum dot-porphyrin/phthalocyanine multifunctional hybrid systems: from interfacial dialogue to application

“…Except for haematological malignancies, the accumulation of these substances in lymph nodes may reduce their therapeutic efficacy against practically all cancers. 298…”

“…Monodisperse nanoparticles made of biocompatible building block conjugates can be useful in developing multipurpose new optical imaging systems and enhancing the therapeutic index. 6,298 In the case of nearinfrared fluorescence imaging (NIRFI), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), positron emission tomography (PET), and dual modal PET-MRI, nanoporphyrins can be employed as amplifiable multimodality nanoprobes. Nanoporphyrins considerably improve the imaging sensitivity for tumour identification by suppressing the background in the blood and preferentially accumulating and amplifying signals in tumours.…”

“…69 Biocompatible porphysomes can also be functionalized with receptor ligands to target nanoparticles or chelated with paramagnetic metal ions to serve as contrast agents in PET, MRI, and in vivo fluorescence imaging. 298 In the case of PDT, bioimaging of compounds is important for deciding the PDT dosimetry. Bioimaging helps to decide various matrices, such as the amount of PS at the site of treatment before and after PDT.…”

“…Except for haematological malignancies, the accumulation of these substances in lymph nodes may reduce their therapeutic efficacy against practically all cancers. 298 A novel multicomponent coordination self-assembly strategy based on the combination of histidine-containing short peptides, photosensitizers (Pp), and metal ions to design and engineer metallo-nanodrugs for antitumor therapy is based on the cooperative coordination of histidine residues and porphyrin derivatives (Fig. 11a).…”

“…GQD-based porphyrin nanocomposites can allow specific targeting, extended tissue lifetime, drug delivery, immune tolerance, photophysical, electrochemical, and bioactive properties, healing and repair of damaged organs, biomimetic function, improved hydrophilicity, and cancer theranostics, depending on their kinetics, structure-function relationships, etc. 6,298 The tendency of nanohybrids to undergo intersystem crossing to an excited triplet state allows their use in therapeutic applications such as PDT and PTT. Surface modifications of Pp/Pc have helped to regulate their physicochemical, fluorescence, and pharmacological properties, which can permit their use for both diagnostic and therapeutic effects in fluorescenceguided tumor dissection and imaging.…”