Abstract
Cancer is considered one of the major public health problems worldwide. Among the therapeutic approaches investigated and used so far, the combined use of photothermal (PTT) and photodynamic (PDT) therapies have shown promising results for in vivo studies. The mechanisms of actions of both therapies are based on use of a chemical entity and a source light with an appropriate wavelength, and, in PDTs case, also molecular oxygen (O2). Moreover, the combined use of PTT and PDT may present a synergic effect on the elimination of solid tumor and metastasis. Herein, we review the past 5 years (2016–2020) regarding the combined use of PTT and PDT and carbon nanomaterial platforms as photosensitizers and photothermal agents against cancer (in vivo evaluation). We intend to highlight the most important and illustrative examples for this period. Additionally, we report the mechanisms of action of PTT and PTT and the general physical/chemical properties of carbon nanomaterial platforms used for this therapeutic approach.
Highlights
Cancer is considered one of the major public health problems worldwide
We report the mechanisms of action of PTT and photodynamic therapy (PDT) and general physical/chemical properties of carbon nanomaterial platforms used for this dual therapeutic approach
In this literature survey and explanation of the combined use of therapies that start from the principle of converting light energy into energy to cause tumor destruction by hyperthermia and photodynamic action, using carbon-based structures such as photothermal agents (PA)
Summary
When light interacts with a molecule, one of the phenomena that can occur is absorption. From this state it can return to its ground state by relaxation with the final result in heat or emitting light, which is called phosphorescence From this metastable state, two types of PDT mechanisms have been proposed to lead to cell death [41]. Cell death caused by PDT has as its main mechanism of action the production of 1O2 and the induction of cell death by apoptosis These mechanisms can to happen simultaneously and the proportion between them is them two is directly related the oxygen concentration in the cellular environment, the directly related to the oxygen concentration in the cellular environment, the intracellular intracellular substrates present, and the characteristics of the PSs chosen in the application.
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