Recent Progress in Near Infrared Light Triggered Photodynamic Therapy

Abstract

Nowadays, photodynamic therapy (PDT) is under the research spotlight as an appealing modality for various malignant tumors. Compared with conventional PDT treatment activated by ultraviolet or visible light, near infrared (NIR) light-triggered PDT possessing deeper penetration to lesion area and lower photodamage to normal tissue holds great potential for in vivo deep-seated tumor. In this review, recent research progress related to the exploration of NIR light responsive PDT nanosystems is summarized. To address current obstacles of PDT treatment and facilitate the effective utilization, several innovative strategies are developed and introduced into PDT nanosystems, including the conjugation with targeted moieties, O self-sufficient PDT, dual photosensitizers (PSs)-loaded PDT nanoplatform, and PDT-involved synergistic therapy. Finally, the potential challenges as well as the prospective for further development are also discussed.

Exendin‐4 analogs in insulinoma theranostics

“…Products of these two reactions are responsible for cell killing . A large number of PSs have been developed and tested for treatment of cancer . First generation porphyrin‐based PSs were effectively used for treatment of various cancers, such as melanoma; however, they were also taken up in normal tissue and skin, leading to severe skin phototoxicity.…”

“…95 A large number of PSs have been developed and tested for treatment of cancer. 96 First generation porphyrin-based PSs were effectively used for treatment of various cancers, such as melanoma 97 ; however, they were also taken up in normal tissue and skin, leading to severe skin phototoxicity. Hypericin is a second-generation PS that was shown to effectively internalize and accumulate in RINm5F insulinoma cells, and upon illumination, it induced apoptosis 98 ; however, no experiments in in vivo models have been described so far.…”

Upconverting Carbon Nanodots from Ethylenediaminetetraacetic Acid (EDTA) as Near‐Infrared Activated Phototheranostic Agents

“…The most widespread photodynamic therapy (PDT) agents are porphyrins, phthalocyanines, or bacteriochlorin derivatives co-encapsulated with other fluorescent agents. [1,2] These systemsa re typically hydrophobic and suffer from shallowtissue penetration, limited PDT efficiency,a nd restricted excitation wavelengths typically located in the blue and red ranges where the penetration depth of light is hindered. To overcome these drawbacks, recent studies have reportedt he use of alternative nanomaterials such as gold nanomaterials, [1][2][3] semiconducting quantum dots, [4] semiconductingp olymers, [5] sulfide-based nanocrystals, [6] silica nanoparticles, [7] and rare-earth based upconverting inorganic particles.…”

Mitochondria‐Targeting Selenophene‐Modified BODIPY‐Based Photosensitizers for the Treatment of Hypoxic Cancer Cells

“…[5] Although PDT has numerous advantages, its broader acceptance in clinical practice is restricted mainly due to the limited penetration depth of the visible light through tissues, lack of cancer cell selectivity and reduced level of oxygen in most of the solid tumors (tissue hypoxia). [8] On the other side, subcellular localization of PSs particularly to the MT can address the problems related to hypoxia [9] and enhance the PDT effect [10][11][12][13] since MT play important roles in cell respiration, oxygen metabolism and apoptosis signalling. [6,7] In this context, organelletargeted and red/near-IR absorbing PSs are highly promising.…”

“…Clearly, low energy light (600-900 nm) has better tissue penetration due to the lack of auto-fluorescence and minimum interference from bio-molecules. [8] On the other side, subcellular localization of PSs particularly to the MT can address the problems related to hypoxia [9] and enhance the PDT effect [10][11][12][13] since MT play important roles in cell respiration, oxygen metabolism and apoptosis signalling. [14][15] Additionally, MT are known to have a negative transmembrane potential and the membrane potential in cancer cells was shown to be higher compared to healthy cells, suggesting privileged accumulation and retention of cationic agents in cancerous cells.…”