Biomimetic phototherapy in cancer treatment: from synthesis to application

Phototherapy, with minimally invasive and cosmetic effect, has received considerable attention and been widely studied in cancer treatment, especially in biomaterials field. However, most nanomaterials applied for the delivery of phototherapy agents are usually recognized by the immune system or cleared by liver and kidney, thus hindering their clinical applications. To overcome these limitations, bionic technology stands out by virtue of its low antigenicity and targeting properties, including membrane bionics and bionic enzymes. In this review, we will summarize the up-to-date progress in the development of biomimetic camouflage-based nanomaterials for phototherapy, from synthesis to application, and their future in cancer treatment.