The nonradiative conversion of light energy into heat (photothermal therapy, PTT) or sound energy (photoacoustic imaging, PAI) has been intensively investigated for the treatment and diagnosis of cancer, respectively. By taking advantage of nanocarriers, both imaging and therapeutic functions together with enhanced tumour accumulation have been thoroughly studied to improve the pre-clinical efficiency of PAI and PTT. In this review, we first summarize the development of inorganic and organic nano photothermal transduction agents (PTAs) and strategies for improving the PTT outcomes, including applying appropriate laser dosage, guiding the treatment via imaging techniques, developing PTAs with absorption in the second NIR window, increasing photothermal conversion efficiency (PCE), and also increasing the accumulation of PTAs in tumours. Second, we introduce the advantages of combining PTT with other therapies in cancer treatment. Third, the emerging applications of PAI in cancer-related research are exemplified. Finally, the perspectives and challenges of PTT and PAI for combating cancer, especially regarding their clinical translation, are discussed. We believe that PTT and PAI having noteworthy features would become promising next-generation non-invasive cancer theranostic techniques and improve our ability to combat cancers.

/pdf/photothermal-therapy-and-photoacoustic-imaging-via-5cxqag870v.pdf

Photothermal therapy and photoacoustic imaging via nanotheranostics in fighting cancer

Light-activated, photosensitizer-based therapies have been established as safe modalities of tumour ablation for numerous cancer indications. Two main approaches are available: photodynamic therapy, which results in localized chemical damage in the target lesions, and photothermal therapy, which results in localized thermal damage. Whereas the administration of photosensitizers is a key component of photodynamic therapy, exogenous photothermal contrast agents are not required for photothermal therapy but can enhance the efficiency and efficacy of treatment. Over the past decades, great strides have been made in the development of phototherapeutic drugs and devices as cancer treatments, but key challenges have restricted their widespread clinical use outside of certain dermatological indications. Improvements in the tumour specificity of photosensitizers, achieved through targeting or localized activation, could provide better outcomes with fewer adverse effects, as could combinations with chemotherapies or immunotherapies. In this Review, we provide an overview of the current clinical progress of phototherapies for cancer and discuss the emerging preclinical bioengineering approaches that have the potential to overcome challenges in this area and thus improve the efficiency and utility of such treatments.

Clinical development and potential of photothermal and photodynamic therapies for cancer

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) play an essential role in regulating various physiological functions of living organisms. The intrinsic biochemical properties of ROS, which underlie the mechanisms ne...

Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS)-Based Nanomedicine.

Tailored to the specific tumour microenvironment, which involves acidity and the overproduction of hydrogen peroxide, advanced nanotechnology has been introduced to generate the hydroxyl radical ( OH) primarily for tumour chemodynamic therapy (CDT) through the Fenton and Fenton-like reactions Numerous studies have investigated the enhancement of CDT efficiency, primarily the increase in the amount of  OH generated Notably, various strategies based on the Fenton reaction have been employed to enhance  OH generation, including nanomaterials selection, modulation of the reaction environment, and external energy fields stimulation, which are discussed systematically in this Minireview Furthermore, the potential challenges and the methods used to facilitate CDT effectiveness are also presented to support this cutting-edge research area

Chemodynamic Therapy: Tumour Microenvironment‑Mediated Fenton and Fenton‑like Reactions

This review presents a robust strategy to design photosensitizers (PSs) for various species. Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a photochemical-based treatment approach that involves the use of light combined with a light-activated chemical, referred to as a PS. Attractively, PDT is one of the alternatives to conventional cancer treatment due to its noninvasive nature, high cure rates, and low side effects. PSs play an important factor in photoinduced reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation. Although the concept of photosensitizer-based photodynamic therapy has been widely adopted for clinical trials and bioimaging, until now, to our surprise, there has been no relevant review article on rational designs of organic PSs for PDT. Furthermore, most of published review articles in PDT focused on nanomaterials and nanotechnology based on traditional PSs. Therefore, this review aimed at reporting recent strategies to develop innovative organic photosensitizers for enhanced photodynamic therapy, with each example described in detail instead of providing only a general overview, as is typically done in previous reviews of PDT, to provide intuitive, vivid, and specific insights to the readers.

Recent Strategies to Develop Innovative Photosensitizers for Enhanced Photodynamic Therapy.

Despite its clinical promise, photodynamic therapy (PDT) suffers from a key drawback associated with its oxygen-dependent nature, which limits its effective use against hypoxic tumors. Moreover, both PDT-mediated oxygen consumption and microvascular damage further increase tumor hypoxia and, thus, impede therapeutic outcomes. In recent years, numerous investigations have focused on strategies for overcoming this drawback of PDT. These efforts, which are summarized in this review, have produced many innovative methods to avoid the limits of PDT associated with hypoxia.

Innovative Strategies for Hypoxic-Tumor Photodynamic Therapy

Owing to its spatiotemporal selectivity and noninvasive nature, photodynamic therapy (PDT) has become a clinically promising approach for the treatment of a wide range of cancers and other diseases. However, the full potential of PDT has not been achieved thus far as a consequence of the lack of optimal photosensitizers (PSs) and/or smart transport/activation strategies. These problems, which unfortunately lie at the core of the PDT paradigm, include the oxygen reliance limits, the effect of PDT on hypoxic tumors, limitations of light penetration, and undesired skin photosensitization induced by “always on” PSs. Recently, supramolecular approaches, which rely on the use of non-covalent interactions to construct biomedical active materials, have become suitable methods for developing innovative PSs. Non-covalent interactions enable supramolecular PSs to have sensitive and controllable photoactivities, important elements needed to maximize photodynamic effects and minimize side effects. In addition, versatile supramolecular PS-assemblies can be designed so that PDT occurs synergistically with other therapeutic modalities, e.g., photothermal therapy, leading to a potential improvement of therapeutic effectiveness. In this review, recent progress made in the development of supramolecular PSs for rejuvenating PDT will be presented. Importantly, this discussion also provides a view of future advances that will likely be made in this area and their potential clinical applications.

Supramolecular photosensitizers rejuvenate photodynamic therapy.

Recent developments in the design of bifunctional and activatable photosensitizers rejuvenate the aging field of photodynamic sensitization and photodynamic therapy. While systematic studies have uncovered new dyes that can serve as potential photosensitizers, the most promising results have come from studies aimed at gaining precise control over the location and rate of cytotoxic singlet oxygen generation. As a consequence, higher selectivities and efficiencies in photodynamic treatment protocols are now within reach. This feature article highlights the variety of approaches that have been pursued to improve photodynamic therapy and to transform simple photosensitizers into smarter theranostic agents.

/pdf/activatable-photosensitizers-agents-for-selective-54ibnvknht.pdf

Activatable Photosensitizers: Agents for Selective Photodynamic Therapy

Antibiotic-resistant bacteria have emerged as a severe threat to human health. As effective antibacterial therapies, supramolecular materials display unprecedented advantages because of the flexible and tunable nature of their noncovalent interactions with biomolecules and the ability to incorporate various active agents in their platforms. Herein, supramolecular antibacterial materials are discussed using a format that focuses on their fundamental active elements and on recent advances including material selection, fabrication methods, structural characterization, and activity performance.

Supramolecular Antibacterial Materials for Combatting Antibiotic Resistance

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