Issue 11, 2019

Hydrogels: soft matters in photomedicine

Abstract

Photodynamic therapy (PDT), a shining beacon in the realm of photomedicine, is a non-invasive technique that utilizes dye-based photosensitizers (PSs) in conjunction with light and oxygen to produce reactive oxygen species to combat malignant tissues and infectious microorganisms. Yet, for PDT to become a common, routine therapy, it is still necessary to overcome limitations such as photosensitizer solubility, long-term side effects (e.g., photosensitivity) and to develop safe, biocompatible and target-specific formulations. Polymer based drug delivery platforms are an effective strategy for the delivery of PSs for PDT applications. Among them, hydrogels and 3D polymer scaffolds with the ability to swell in aqueous media have been deeply investigated. Particularly, hydrogel-based formulations present real potential to fulfill all requirements of an ideal PDT platform by overcoming the solubility issues, while improving the selectivity and targeting drawbacks of the PSs alone. In this perspective, we summarize the use of hydrogels as carrier systems of PSs to enhance the effectiveness of PDT against infections and cancer. Their potential in environmental and biomedical applications, such as tissue engineering photoremediation and photochemistry, is also discussed.

Graphical abstract: Hydrogels: soft matters in photomedicine

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Perspective
Submitted
14 май 2019
Accepted
16 авг 2019
First published
19 авг 2019

Photochem. Photobiol. Sci., 2019,18, 2613-2656

Hydrogels: soft matters in photomedicine

B. Khurana, P. Gierlich, A. Meindl, L. C. Gomes-da-Silva and M. O. Senge, Photochem. Photobiol. Sci., 2019, 18, 2613 DOI: 10.1039/C9PP00221A

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