Photo-facilitated chemodynamic therapeutic agents: Synthesis, mechanisms, and biomedical applications

Abstract

Chemodynamic therapy (CDT) utilizes Fenton and/or Fenton-like reactions in the tumor microenvironment (TME) to produce cytotoxic reactive oxygen species (ROS, mainly hydroxyl radicals, •OH) for inducing cancer cell death. Since CDT exhibits minimal invasiveness and high tumor specificity by responding to TME (overexpressed hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) and glutathione (GSH) generation), a lot of related research has been conducted recently. Photo-facilitated CDT can further enhance the catalytic activity and controllability of the treatment. In addition, other photo-induced therapies, including photodynamic and photothermal therapy (PDT, PTT), may synergize with CDT to obtain boosting treatment efficacy and avoid multidrug resistance. In this minireview, we summarize the recent advances in photo-assisted CDT, including PTT-facilitated CDT and PDT-facilitated CDT. More importantly, the challenges encountered in the treatment process are discussed and potential development directions are suggested to facilitate the clinical translation of photo-assisted CDT in the future.