Engineering of copper sulfide mediated by phototherapy performance

Area of Science:

• Nanomedicine
• Oncologic Disease
• Diagnostic Tools

Background:

• Copper sulfide (Cu2-xS) based phototherapy, including photothermal and photodynamic therapy, is an emerging minimally invasive tumor treatment.
• It converts light to heat or reactive oxygen to eliminate tumor cells, offering higher efficiency and fewer side effects than conventional therapies.
• However, dose-dependent toxicity and limited performance hinder its clinical application.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review current engineering strategies for Cu2-xS to enhance phototherapy performance.
• To guide the development of improved Cu2-xS-based nanomedicines for cancer treatment.
• To explore future directions in Cu2-xS phototherapy.

Main Methods:

• Review of engineering methods for Cu2-xS, including structural, compositional, functional, and performance engineering.
• Analysis of the relationship between engineering approaches and phototherapy outcomes.
• Discussion of future prospects such as smart materials and immune microenvironment modulation.

Main Results:

• Identified four key engineering strategies (structural, compositional, functional, performance) for Cu2-xS.
• Highlighted the importance of engineering for improving light absorption and phototherapy efficacy.
• Discussed the potential of advanced applications like smart materials and immunomodulation.

Conclusions:

• Engineering Cu2-xS is crucial for overcoming limitations and enhancing phototherapy performance.
• Further development in smart materials and immune modulation holds promise for future Cu2-xS-based cancer treatments.
• This review provides insights for developing advanced Cu2-xS nanomedicines for oncologic diseases.