Organic Sonosensitizers-based SDT with enhanced ROS generation

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Oncology
• Materials Science

Background:

• Sonodynamic therapy (SDT) is a promising non-invasive cancer treatment using ultrasound-activated sonosensitizers to produce reactive oxygen species (ROS).
• Clinical translation faces challenges due to low ROS quantum yields and the hypoxic tumor microenvironment (TME), which limits oxygen-dependent ROS generation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review molecular design strategies for enhancing organic sonosensitizers' ROS production.
• To evaluate innovative oxygen delivery and generation approaches for tumor reoxygenation in SDT.
• To explore synergistic strategies combining advanced sonosensitizers with oxygen delivery systems for improved SDT outcomes.

Main Methods:

• Systematic review of molecular design strategies: heavy atom incorporation, donor-acceptor (D-A) architecture, π-conjugation extension, and solubility modulation.
• Evaluation of tumor reoxygenation techniques: O2-nanocarriers, in-situ catalytic O2 generation, and mitochondrial respiration modulation.
• Analysis of synergistic approaches integrating validated sonosensitizers (e.g., porphyrins) with oxygen delivery systems (e.g., perfluorocarbon nanoemulsions).

Main Results:

• Molecular designs like heavy atom incorporation and D-A architectures significantly boost ROS quantum yields.
• Oxygen delivery systems, including nanocarriers and in-situ generation, effectively counteract tumor hypoxia.
• Combining enhanced sonosensitizers with oxygenation strategies shows synergistic effects, amplifying ROS production and therapeutic potential.

Conclusions:

• Optimizing sonosensitizer design and addressing tumor hypoxia are crucial for advancing SDT.
• Integrating advanced sonosensitizers with effective oxygen delivery systems offers a potent strategy to overcome SDT limitations.
• These synergistic approaches hold significant promise for unlocking the full clinical potential of sonodynamic therapy in cancer treatment.