Engineering of copper sulfide mediated by phototherapy performance

Copper sulfide based phototherapy, including photothermal therapy and photodynamic therapy, is an emerging minimally invasive treatment of tumor, which the light was converted to heat or reactive oxygen to kill the tumor cells. Compared with conventional chemotherapy and radiation therapy, Cu_2-x S based phototherapy is more efficient and has fewer side effects. However, considering the dose-dependent toxicity of Cu_2-x S, the performance of Cu_2-x S based phototherapy still cannot meet the requirement of the clinical application to now. To overcome this limitation, engineering of Cu_2-x S to improve the phototherapy performance by increasing light absorption has attracted extensive attention. For better guidance of Cu_2-x S engineering, we outline the currently engineering method being explored, including (1) structural engineering, (2) compositional engineering, (3) functional engineering, and (4) performance engineering. Also, the relationship between the engineering method and phototherapy performance was discussed in this review. In addition, the further development of Cu_2-x S based phototherapy is prospected, including smart materials based phototherapy, phototherapy induced immune microenvironment modulation et al. This review will provide new ideas and opportunities for engineering of Cu_2-x S with better phototherapy performance. This article is categorized under: Diagnostic Tools > In Vivo Nanodiagnostics and Imaging Therapeutic Approaches and Drug Discovery > Nanomedicine for Oncologic Disease.