Therapeutic Considerations and Conjugated Polymer-Based Photosensitizers for Photodynamic Therapy

Abstract

Conjugated polymers have recently attracted a great deal of attention for applications in photodynamic therapy (PDT) because of their light-harvesting capability, efficient energy transfer, and singlet oxygen generation properties. This review describes recent advances in PDT development, including therapeutic mechanisms of PDT in cancer treatments, light excitation methods, and especially recent advances of conjugated polyelectrolytes and conjugated polymer nanoparticles as photosensitizers. The future direction on PDT and further development of conjugated polymer photosensitizers are discussed. The aim of this review is to stimulate innovative ideas to synthesize a new generation of conjugated polymer photosensitizers and promote their translation to clinical applications of PDT.

Keywords: cancer; conjugated polymers; nanoparticles; photodynamic therapy; photosensitizers.