Recent advances of mesoporous silica-based nanocomposites for photodynamic therapy: A review

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) has emerged as a promising strategy for treating deep-seated tumors by harnessing the power of reactive oxygen species (ROS) liberation. Current therapy utilizes a photosensitizer (PS) that can be triggered by various external or internal stimuli, such as near-infrared light (NIR) or inner biological/chemical reactions, leading to the production of ROS (e.g., *OH and ¹O₂) within the tumor microenvironment (TME), which leads to cancer killing mechanism. Mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) and their hybrids forms are promising candidates for PDT due to their exceptional properties, including a high surface area-to-volume ratio, excellent biocompatibility, modifiable surface, pore size, modifiable morphology, high prosperity and biosafety. Herein, the aim of this review to explain the anticancer mechanisms of MSNs-based PDT and multifunctional synergistic therapies. Moreover, we also summarized the up-to-date advances in the design, modification, and applications of MSNs-based PDT. Finally, the current challenges facing MSNs-based PDT are discussed, as well as future prospective for clinical uses of MSNs-based nanocomposites for ROS-activated synergistic therapies.