Advances in Carbon Dot Based Enhancement of Photodynamic Therapy of Tumors

Photodynamic therapy has advantages of high selectivity, less invasiveness, and high lethality for cancer cells compared with traditional treatment methods. However, some problems have hindered the development of photodynamic therapy, such as limited penetration depth, lack of oxygen, and toxicity. Carbon dots are widely used in the imaging and treatment of tumors due to their excellent optical and physicochemical properties, so effective methods have been explored to address the issues in photodynamic therapy via carbon dots. This review aims to elucidate the role of carbon dots in photodynamic therapy of cancer. Moreover, we summarize and discuss some strategies to harness carbon dots to enhance photodynamic therapy. Finally, we summarize many cancer synergistic therapeutic modalities involving carbon dots such as chemodynamic therapy, photothermal therapy, and immunotherapy in combination with photodynamic therapy to achieve more effective and safer treatments.