Light-Responsive Nanomaterials for Cancer Therapy

Due to its unique advantages, which include minimal invasiveness and relative clinical safety, phototherapy is considered to be a promising approach for cancer treatment. However, the treatment efficacy of phototherapy is often restricted by the limited depth of light penetration and the low targeting effect of phototherapeutic agents. The emergence of light-responsive nanomaterials offers a possible approach to achieve enhanced phototherapy potency. This review summarizes the progress in biomedical applications of light-responsive nanomaterials for cancer therapy, which include photothermal therapy (PTT), photodynamic therapy (PDT), light-responsive molecule delivery, and light-controlled combination therapy. Future prospects are also discussed. This review aims to demonstrate the significance of light-responsive nanomaterials in cancer therapy and to provide strategies to expand the applications of phototherapy.