Modern Cyanine Dye-Based Photosensitizers for Medical Applications.

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Photochemistry
• Oncology

Background:

• Photochemical technology, particularly photodynamic therapy (PDT), offers precise cancer treatment.
• Traditional photosensitizers face limitations hindering therapeutic efficiency.
• Cyanine dyes have emerged as a promising molecular framework to overcome these challenges.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide a comprehensive review of cyanine dye-based photosensitizers in biomedical applications.
• To address inconsistencies and ambiguities in the field due to fragmented communication.
• To guide the rational design and innovation of next-generation cyanine photosensitizers.

Main Methods:

• Review of interdisciplinary research over the past 8 years.
• Analysis of photosensitization efficiency and challenges.
• Examination of molecular design paradigms and biomedical applications.

Main Results:

• Cyanine dyes show significant potential in overcoming limitations of traditional photosensitizers.
• Key application aspects include photosensitization efficiency, hypoxic microenvironments, and tissue penetration.
• Design principles for next-generation photosensitizers are proposed.

Conclusions:

• Cyanine dye-based photosensitizers are crucial for advancing photodynamic therapy.
• Addressing challenges in design and application is vital for therapeutic success.
• This review serves as a resource for experts and non-experts in the field.