Chlorin Activity Enhancers for Photodynamic Therapy

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a non-invasive therapeutic method with over a century of medical use, especially in dermatology, ophthalmology, dentistry, and, notably, cancer treatment. With an increasing number of clinical trials, there is growing demand for innovation in PDT. Despite being a promising treatment for cancer and bacterial infections, PDT faces limitations such as poor water solubility of many photosensitizers (PS), limited light penetration, off-target accumulation, and tumor hypoxia. This review focuses on chlorins-well-established macrocyclic PSs known for their strong activity and clinical relevance. We discuss how nanotechnology addresses PDT's limitations and enhances therapeutic outcomes. Nanocarriers like lipid-based (liposomes, micelles), polymer-based (cellulose, chitosan, silk fibroin, polyethyleneimine, PLGA), and carbon-based ones (graphene oxide, quantum dots, MOFs), and nanospheres are promising platforms that improve chlorin performance and reduce side effects. This review also explores their use in Antimicrobial Photodynamic Therapy (aPDT) against multidrug-resistant bacteria and in oncology. Recent in vivo studies demonstrate encouraging results in preclinical models using nanocarrier-enhanced chlorins, though clinical application remains limited.