When Chemodynamic Therapy Meets Photodynamic Therapy: A Synergistic Combination of Cancer Treatments

In the past three years, the use of combinational chemodynamic therapy (CDT) and photodynamic therapy (PDT) for antitumor treatments has exploded. Combinational antitumor CDT/PDT (C/PDT) brings promises of enhanced efficacy by using synergistic mechanisms. In this review, we discuss the basic mechanisms behind the synergistic C/PDT with a focus on the nanomaterials that impart these functionalities. By a thorough understanding of the mechanisms, more rational and elegant synergies may be discovered, but only if researchers take a nuanced and detailed approach toward reaction engineering. Utilizing the unique properties of nanomaterials and chemical principles, investigators may enhance the generation of reactive oxygen (ROS) species in tumor cells and, ideally, achieve greater therapeutic outcomes.