Nanomedicine-Integrated Phototherapy for Cancer Theranostics: A Systematic Review of Photoresponsive Materials, Mechanisms, and Clinical Translation
Abstract
Background: Cancer remains a principal cause of mortality worldwide, and conventional treatments are constrained by non-specific cytotoxicity, therapeutic resistance, and incomplete tumor eradication. Nanomedicine-integrated phototherapy, encompassing photodynamic therapy (PDT) and photothermal therapy (PTT), has emerged as a spatiotemporally controlled theranostic modality with demonstrated preclinical promise.
Objective: This systematic review synthesizes current evidence on nanomedicine-based phototherapeutic agents across four research dimensions: nanotechnology design, phototherapeutic mechanisms, photoresponsive materials, and clinical translation.
Methods: A systematic literature search was conducted across PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Embase (2000-2024) using predefined search terms related to nanomedicine, PDT, PTT, and cancer theranostics. Studies were screened according to PRISMA-aligned inclusion and exclusion criteria. A total of 1847 records were identified; following deduplication and full-text review, 78 studies met eligibility criteria and were included in the narrative synthesis.
Results: Nanocarrier design has advanced substantially, with enhanced permeability and retention (EPR)-mediated and active-targeted platforms achieving 10-50-fold tumor-to-tissue concentration ratios in preclinical models. Photoresponsive nanomaterials (including gold nanostructures with PCE 50-99%, carbon-based nanomaterials with PCE 40-80%, and hybrid metal-organic…
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