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Updated: Dec 14, 2025
Facile Preparation and Photoactivation of Prodrug-Dye Nanoassemblies
Published on: February 17, 2023
Photoactivatable Protherapeutic Nanomedicine for Cancer
Yan Zhang1, Cheng Xu2, Xiangliang Yang1
1National Research Centre for Nanomedicine, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430074, P. R. China.
Abstract:
Therapeutic systems with site-specific pharmaceutical activation hold great promise to enhance therapeutic efficacy while reducing systemic toxicity in cancer therapy. With operational flexibility, noninvasiveness, and high spatiotemporal resolution, photoactivatable nanomedicines have drawn growing attention. Distinct from traditional controlled release systems relying on the difference of biomarker concentrations between disease and healthy tissues, photoactivatable nanomedicines capitalize on the interaction between nanotransducers and light to either trigger photochemical reactions or generate reactive oxygen species (ROS) or heat effect to remotely induce pharmaceutical actions in living subjects. Herein, the recent advances in the development of photoactivatable protherapeutic nanoagents for oncology are summarized. The design strategies and therapeutic applications of these nanoagents are described. Representative examples of each type are discussed in terms of structure, photoactivation mechanism, and preclinical models. Last, potential challenges and perspectives to further develop photoactivatable protherapeutic nanoagents in cancer nanomedicine are discussed.
Insights
Photoactivatable nanomedicines offer targeted cancer therapy by using light to activate drugs, enhancing efficacy and reducing side effects. This review covers recent advances in these promising photoactivatable protherapeutic nanoagents for oncology.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Nanotechnology
- Oncology
Background:
- Site-specific pharmaceutical activation enhances cancer therapy efficacy and reduces systemic toxicity.
- Photoactivatable nanomedicines offer noninvasive, spatiotemporal control over drug release using light.
- These systems differ from traditional methods by using light-triggered nanotransducers for drug activation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To summarize recent advances in photoactivatable protherapeutic nanoagents for cancer therapy.
- To describe the design strategies and therapeutic applications of these nanoagents.
- To discuss challenges and future perspectives in the field of cancer nanomedicine.
Main Methods:
- Review of recent literature on photoactivatable nanoagents for oncology.
- Analysis of design strategies, photoactivation mechanisms, and therapeutic applications.
- Discussion of preclinical models and case studies.
Main Results:
- Photoactivatable nanomedicines utilize light to trigger photochemical reactions, generate reactive oxygen species (ROS), or produce heat for drug activation.
- Various nanoagent designs have been developed, demonstrating efficacy in preclinical cancer models.
- The review details specific examples, their structures, and photoactivation mechanisms.
Conclusions:
- Photoactivatable protherapeutic nanoagents represent a promising frontier in cancer nanomedicine.
- Further development is needed to address challenges and optimize therapeutic outcomes.
- These advanced systems hold potential for improved cancer treatment with reduced side effects.
