Photocatalytic Materials: An Apollo’s Arrow to Tumor Cells

Photo-therapeutics have attracted increasing attention for the treatment of tumors because of their controllable and tunable nature and low potential for side effects. Photocatalytic materials triggered by targeted wavelengths of light facilitate the generation of reactive oxygen species for tumor DNA damage, allowing for high efficacy at low radiation doses with limited damage of normal tissues. This short review emphasizes the mechanisms and recent breakthroughs achieved in photocatalytic materials for tumor treatment, mainly focusing on light wavelengths in the respective near-infrared (NIR), UV-vis, and X-ray regions. Lastly, current limitations and future perspectives are also highlighted.