Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a minimally invasive and effective procedure for treatment of cancer, based on the combination of a drug (photosensitizer, PS), light (visible or near-infrared, NIR) and induced local formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and radicals. Despite its less significant side effects as compared with conventional therapies, many efforts still are been focused on enhancing the selectivity and efficiency of PSs and thus, of commercial drugs. Nanotechnology is providing many interesting possibilities and tools to develop drug delivery systems (DDS) and multifunctional platforms for therapy, diagnosis and theranostics. More recently, their effectiveness against tumor cells and tissues is being improved by combining the synergic effects of chemotherapeutic agents and other therapies, making them more interesting therapeutic alternatives. Accordingly, this review is focused on the recent contributions of nanotechnology on PDT, converging to the development of DDSs and multifunctional systems and their application for cancer therapy.
Keywords:
photodynamic therapy; photosensitizer; drug delivery systems; nanocarriers; cancer
