Recent advances in supramolecular activatable phthalocyanine-based photosensitizers for anti-cancer therapy

In recent years, the application of phthalocyanine in photodynamic therapy has attracted increasing attention. In this review, the design and application of phthalocyanines as supramolecular activatable photosensitizers in anti-cancer therapy are highlighted. • Recent progresses of supramolecular activatable phthalocyanines are outlined. • Different activation strategies are discussed. • The challenges and prospects of aPSs in the future are also presented. Phthalocyanines, as an organic compound, are widely used in photodynamic therapy (PDT), but they still have the defect of poor selectivity. By introducing the concept of activatable photosensitizers (aPSs), the selectivity and effectiveness of phthalocyanine can be improved significantly. The so-called aPSs means that phthalocyanines are inert in healthy tissues, and regulate their photoactivity through various stimulus response processes (such as pH values, GSH concentrations, enzyme existence, and so on), thus reducing the damage to normal cells. At present, a variety of phthalocyanine-based aPSs have been isolated or designed. In this review, herein, we highlight phthalocyanine-based supramolecular aPSs for PDT in the last five years, and enhance the potential in anti-cancer therapy of phthalocyanines.