Assembled small organic molecules for photodynamic therapy and photothermal therapy
Lixin Sun1, Jian Wang1, Baochan Yang1
1Beijing Key Laboratory for Science and Application of Functional Molecular and Crystalline Materials, Department of Chemistry, University of Science and Technology Beijing Beijing 100083 China twang@ustb.edu.cn jianzhuang@ustb.edu.cn.
Abstract:
As a worldwide major public health problem, cancer is one of the leading causes of death. Effective treatment of cancer is an important challenge. Therefore, photodynamic therapy (PDT) and photothermal therapy (PTT) have been widely applied as anti-tumour strategies due to their high-performance and limited side effects. Inspired by natural supramolecular architectures, such as cytochromes and photosystems, the hierarchical supramolecular assembly of small organic molecules has been developed for their use as photosensitizers or photothermal agents for PDT and PTT, respectively. In this manuscript, we will summarize the recent progress of PDT and PTT based on the assembly of small organic molecules.
Insights
Cancer remains a major health challenge. This review explores supramolecular assembly of organic molecules for advanced photodynamic therapy (PDT) and photothermal therapy (PTT) cancer treatments.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Materials Science
- Oncology
Background:
- Cancer is a leading global cause of mortality, necessitating innovative therapeutic strategies.
- Photodynamic therapy (PDT) and photothermal therapy (PTT) offer promising, low-side-effect anti-tumour approaches.
- Natural supramolecular architectures inspire the development of novel therapeutic agents.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review recent advancements in PDT and PTT utilizing small organic molecule assemblies.
- To highlight the potential of supramolecular chemistry in developing targeted cancer therapies.
Main Methods:
- Focuses on the hierarchical supramolecular assembly of small organic molecules.
- Discusses the application of these assemblies as photosensitizers for PDT and photothermal agents for PTT.
Main Results:
- Supramolecular assemblies of organic molecules show significant potential for PDT and PTT.
- These assemblies can be designed to act as effective photosensitizers and photothermal agents.
Conclusions:
- The assembly of small organic molecules represents a powerful strategy for developing advanced PDT and PTT agents.
- This approach holds promise for improving cancer treatment efficacy and reducing side effects.
