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Published on: April 6, 2022
Macromolecular Nano-Assemblies for Enhancing the Effect of Oxygen-Dependent Photodynamic Therapy Against Hypoxic
Peipei Zhang1, Meng Cheng1, Yael Levi-Kalisman2
1State Key Laboratory of Metal Matrix Composites, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, 200240, Shanghai, China.
Abstract:
In oxygen (O2)-dependent photodynamic therapy (PDT), photosensitizers absorb light energy, which is then transferred to ambient O2 and subsequently generates cytotoxic singlet oxygen (1O2). Therefore, the availability of O2 and the utilization efficiency of generated 1O2 are two significant factors that influence the effectiveness of PDT. However, tumor microenvironments (TMEs) characterized by hypoxia and limited utilization efficiency of 1O2 resulting from its short half-life and short diffusion distance significantly restrict the applicability of PDT for hypoxic tumors. To address these challenges, numerous macromolecular nano-assemblies (MNAs) have been designed to relieve hypoxia, utilize hypoxia or enhance the utilization efficiency of 1O2. Herein, we provide a comprehensive review on recent advancements achieved with MNAs in enhancing the effectiveness of O2-dependent PDT against hypoxic tumors.
