Photoactivation in Chemotherapeutic Compounds for Cancer Treatment: Opportunities Beyond Photodynamic Therapy

Photoactivation is the stimulation or regulation of a chemical or a chemical process by utilizing light of specific wavelength that corresponds to an absorbance optimum of the agent being used and can penetrate into tissues. In cancer therapy, photoactivatable drugs utilize this phenomenon by allowing the temporal and spatial regulation of their cytotoxicity using irradiation. Therefore, in order to reduce the adverse effects of platinum medications, photoactivatable anticancer pharmaceuticals, which might be site-activated in the tumour region, are a viable option. This paper summarizes different types of photoactivatable anticancer compounds that would produce an active version of a drug by the process of photouncaging. The mode of photoactivation and rationale for drug design are summarized. The effects of typical complexes on cellular pathways, photocytotoxicity and dark cytotoxicity are explored. When compared to traditional Pt(II) anticancer medications, photoactivatable anticancer compounds provide a number of benefits, including ability to overcome drug resistance, and in situ monitoring of drug accumulation and activation inside cells. This review also covers the design approaches, synthesis techniques, photoresponsiveness and antitumour effectiveness of various photochemotherapeutic compounds. Future developments and challenges in incorporating photoresponsive metal complexes are also covered. This detailed review aims at encouraging further thorough investigation into this intriguing area of study by offering a summary of current developments in the design and development of photoresponsive compounds for cancer treatment and future clinical prospects.